Is vomiting in prostate cancer due to metastasis to the liver?

Written by Yan Chun
Oncology
Updated on November 23, 2024
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Patients with prostate cancer may experience vomiting due to the metastasis of the disease to the liver, causing damage to liver function. However, vomiting could also be caused by other reasons, such as the metastasis of prostate cancer to the peritoneum of the abdominal cavity. Clinically, this can lead to cancerous intestinal obstruction, with symptoms commonly including vomiting, abdominal pain, bloating, reduced bowel movements and gas, or cessation of bowel movements and gas. When prostate cancer metastasizes to the brain, the increased intracranial pressure can also cause symptoms such as vomiting, headache, swelling of the optic disc, hemiplegia, and aphasia. Additionally, some prostate cancer patients may experience vomiting due to toxic side effects from treatments such as chemotherapy and targeted therapy.

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Written by Liu Liang
Oncology
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Best treatment methods for prostate cancer

Treatment methods for prostate cancer include surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and endocrine therapy, among others. The choice of specific treatment methods is comprehensively considered based on the stage of the disease and the patient's physical condition. Early-stage prostate cancer patients can choose prostatectomy or radical radiotherapy. For patients with locally advanced T3 or T4 stage prostate cancer, since the efficacy of prostatectomy alone is relatively poor, radiotherapy combined with endocrine therapy can be chosen. For patients with metastatic prostate cancer, those who are found to have bone metastasis or distant metastasis from the onset, endocrine therapy is primarily used. If endocrine therapy is ineffective or fails, chemotherapy can also be adopted for these late-stage metastatic prostate cancer patients. If the bone metastasis causes pain, local radiotherapy can also be used to alleviate the pain symptoms.

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Written by Zhou Zi Hua
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Prostate Cancer Treatment Options

How is prostate cancer treated? The choice of treatment plan should be based on a comprehensive consideration of the patient's clinical stage, age, overall health, and expected lifespan. For example, in the early stages of prostate cancer, one can choose postoperative radical radiotherapy after prostatectomy. For locally advanced prostate cancer, radiotherapy, intensified radiotherapy combined with endocrine therapy can be chosen. For metastatic prostate cancer, endocrine therapy is mainly used, and chemotherapy can be adopted for those who are ineffective or fail endocrine therapy.

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Written by Liu Liang
Oncology
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How long can one survive with prostate cancer?

The life expectancy of prostate cancer patients depends on the clinical stage at diagnosis, as well as the patient's sensitivity to various treatments such as endocrine therapy, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy. Patients diagnosed at earlier stages who are more responsive to treatment generally have better treatment outcomes and, consequently, a longer survival period compared to those who are diagnosed at later stages and have poor responses to treatment. Overall, prostate cancer patients tend to have a relatively long disease course, and the prognosis is generally good. Even patients with advanced prostate cancer exhibiting extensive bone metastasis can survive several years due to the effectiveness of endocrine treatments. The disease itself progresses slowly, so the prognosis for this type of cancer is comparatively favorable.

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Written by Liu Liang
Oncology
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Is chemotherapy for prostate cancer painful?

For patients with advanced prostate cancer, endocrine therapy is primarily used. Chemotherapy is generally chosen when endocrine therapy is resistant and ineffective. The side effects of chemotherapy are similar to those of other chemotherapy treatments. The first is the gastrointestinal side effects, such as nausea, vomiting, decreased appetite, or bloating and abdominal pain. The second is bone marrow suppression, which leads to a decrease in white blood cells and platelets. The side effects of chemotherapy vary with each patient's constitution and other factors. In most cases, with the support of medications for stomach protection, anti-nausea, and increasing white blood cells, the majority of patients can generally tolerate the treatment.

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Written by Zhou Zi Hua
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Commonly used drugs for endocrine treatment of prostate cancer

The purpose of endocrine therapy for prostate cancer is to reduce the concentration of androgens in the body, inhibit the synthesis of androgens originating from the adrenal glands, inhibit the conversion of testosterone to dihydrotestosterone, or block the binding of androgens to their receptors, thereby inhibiting or controlling the growth of prostate cancer cells. The medications include a luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone analogue, with representative drugs being leuprorelin, goserelin, and triptorelin. There is also an androgen-blocking drug, including steroidal drugs with representative drugs like cyproterone acetate, and non-steroidal drugs with representative drugs like bicalutamide and flutamide. Additionally, there are estrogens, with the most common being diethylstilbestrol.