Casodex (bicalutamide) is a brand-name oral tablet prescribed for a form of advanced prostate cancer. It works to treat this condition by blocking testosterone receptors on cancer cells.
Casodex belongs to a drug class called androgen receptor inhibitors. Casodex is used to treat stage D2 metastatic prostate cancer.
About metastatic prostate cancer and testosterone
Stage D2 metastatic prostate cancer is a form of advanced prostate cancer that has spread to other parts of the body. This usually includes the pelvis, hips, ribs, or other bones. The cancer spreads when prostate cancer cells travel in the blood or lymphatic system to a different part of the body. The cancer cells in the new site are the same type of cells as those in the prostate gland.
The male hormone testosterone stimulates prostate cancer cells to grow and multiply wherever they are in your body. It does this by attaching to specific sites called receptors (docking stations) found on the surface of the cancer cells.
How Casodex works
Casodex contains bicalutamide, which is a type of drug called an androgen receptor inhibitor. It works by attaching to and blocking the testosterone receptors (docking stations) on the cancer cells. This stops testosterone from acting on the cells.
Use with hormone therapy
Hormone therapies for prostate cancer work by reducing the action of testosterone on the cancer cells. Some lower the amount of testosterone that your body makes. Others stop testosterone from acting on the cancer cells. When less testosterone acts on the cancer cells, this slows and sometimes stops the growth of the cancer.
Casodex is used with another type of hormone therapy called a luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH) analog. These include drugs such as leuprolide acetate (Lupron, others) and goserelin acetate (Zoladex). LHRH analogs stop your testicles from making testosterone. They lower the amount of testosterone in your body.
The two drugs have a combined effect on prostate cancer, called combined androgen blockade. It’s more effective than taking Casodex on its own.
Casodex will start to block testosterone receptors as soon as you start to take it. However, it’s not known how quickly this affects the cancer cells. Each person’s cancer is likely to respond slightly differently to the treatment.
Talk with your doctor about when you may start to see results from taking Casodex.
If you’d like to learn more about Casodex, talk with your doctor or pharmacist. They can help answer any questions you have about how the drug works in your body.
If you’d like to learn about other aspects of Casodex, you can explore these articles:
- More information about Casodex. For details about other aspects of Casodex, refer to this article.
- Drug comparison. To learn how Casodex compares with Xtandi, read this article.
- A look at prostate cancer. For details about prostate cancer, see our prostate cancer hub.
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