Hormone Therapy for Advanced Prostate Cancer

If you have advanced prostate cancer, your doctor may recommend hormone therapy with injections of Trelstar. This will slow the progression of your cancer by reducing the amount of testosterone that the cancer cells depend on in order to grow. Trelstar is not a cure for advanced prostate cancer, but it can provide you with several more years to enjoy your life with family and friends.

How Trelstar Works in Your Body

Your injections of Trelstar will be administered by your doctor or other healthcare professional into the muscle in your buttocks as often as your doctor determines for your situation. Once injected, the active ingredient called Triptorelin Pamoate works as a Gonadotropin Releasing hormone agonist (GnRH) to cause your pituitary gland to overproduce two other hormones (follicle-stimulating hormone and luteinizing hormone). This tires out your pituitary gland so its supply of hormones is exhausted; testosterone levels drop and cancer cell growth is slowed.

More About Prostate Cancer

Early detection is key to successfully surviving prostate cancer. Regular doctor exams can monitor any abnormalities in this tiny, walnut-sized gland situated below the bladder and in front of the rectum. Due to the slow growth of a malignant prostate tumor, detection can be made and treatment started that could involve medications or surgery with a good prognosis and long survival rate.

Before Trelstar Injections are Administered

Review your medical history with your doctor and list all over the counter and Rx medications you currently take or use to be certain there will not be any adverse drug interactions with Trelstar. Within the first 2 weeks of your treatment with Trelstar there may be an increase in testosterone serum levels which may cause an increase in your cancer symptoms temporarily.

Precautions During Trelstar Injections

Until you know how your body will react to Trelstar, do not drive or operate any machinery that could be dangerous if you are light-headed or dizzy. If you are diabetic, you will need to monitor your blood glucose levels more often. You or a family member or friend may notice you are experiencing mood swings, decreased interest in activities you enjoy, weight loss, or other instances of depression; revisit your doctor as soon as possible.

Common Side Effects That May Occur

• Sweating
• Impotence
• Trouble sleeping
• Pain or discomfort at injection site

Other Drugs Similar to Trelstar

• Androcur
• Casodex
• Eulexin