This site has been produced in
collaboration with the
Prostate Cancer Foundation
and supported through an
educational grant from
Sanofi-Aventis Oncology.
About Hormone Refractory Prostate Cancer
The following is a list of questions to ask your doctor About Hormone Refractory Prostate Cancer  as well as tips for preparing for these conversations.

How do you determine if I have hormone refractory prostate cancer?

In most cases, a doctor will first treat your prostate cancer as they would any type of prostate cancer because it is difficult to determine which patients have hormone refractory prostate cancer. Therefore, the only way for a doctor to know that you have hormone refractory prostate cancer, is to first treat you with hormone-blocking drugs and to monitor your progress. If you cancer does not respond to these drugs, then you and your doctor will have to consider changing your course of treatment. Because this is the only way to determine if you have hormone refractory prostate cancer, it is important that you and your doctor closely monitor your response to treatment. Be sure to attend all follow up appointments and go for all lab tests as well.

What treatment options are available if I have hormone refractory prostate cancer?

Typically, one discovers that he has hormone refractory prostate cancer only after the cancer fails to respond to more routine treatments. At this point, your doctor will probably offer you a few possibilities for your treatment. Depending on the stage of your prostate cancer treatments, like chemotherapy, can be used to both slow down the progression of the disease. Also, there are many clinical trials that are currently testing new drugs. Be sure to ask you doctor if there are and clinical trials that you may qualify for.

What other treatments are available to help my quality of life?

Living with hormone refractory prostate cancer can be difficult, but there are many treatments available to help you live with the side effects of your disease. If your cancer is more advanced, there are some drugs to help reduce your pain. Also, support groups can be a great source of comfort and other patients may have good suggestion for improving your quality of life.

How You Can Prepare for this Discussion

  • Prepare a list of questions to ask your doctor
  • Bring a tape recorder or a notebook to take notes during your appointment
  • Make sure you ask you doctor about any clinical trial you may qualify for
  • Ask about the side effects of each treatment option and be sure to consider all of your options for treatment