Hormone drug: Flutamide
The information on this page comes from our Tool Kit fact sheet on Flutamide. To order your own tailored copy of the Tool Kit, visit our publications page. You can also download and print a PDF version of this fact sheet.
This page is for men who are about to start, or are already taking, flutamide to control their prostate cancer. It explains how the drug is taken, why it is used and what side effects it may cause. Read our Hormone therapy pages for more information about how hormone therapy is used to treat prostate cancer. We hope these fact sheets will help you to make decisions about your treatment. They should be used together with the information that comes with your medicine and the advice of your specialist team or pharmacist.
- What is flutamide?
- How do I take flutamide?
- What are the side effects?
- How long will I need to take flutamide?
- More information
What is flutamide?
Flutamide is a form of hormone therapy called an anti-androgen. It comes as a 250mg tablet.
Flutamide and other anti-androgens work by stopping testosterone from reaching the cancer cells. Without testosterone the prostate cancer cells are not able to grow. Flutamide will not cure prostate cancer but it can keep the cancer under control for many months or years.
How do I take flutamide?
You should take your flutamide tablet three times each day. Try and space the doses out evenly, for example take one every eight hours. There are two main reasons for taking flutamide.
Treatment of prostate cancer
You may take flutamide on its own to slow down the growth of cancer that has spread outside the prostate gland (advanced). You may also take flutamide if other types of hormone drug such as LHRH agonists or surgery to remove the testicles (orchidectomy) are no longer controlling the cancer.
Flutamide can also be used together with an LHRH agonist or orchidectomy to treat all stages of prostate cancer. This is called maximal androgen blockade.
Flare
If you are about to start treatment with an LHRH agonist, you may take flutamide to prevent the body’s normal response to the first injection, which is to produce testosterone. This temporary rise in testosterone could cause the cancer to grow more quickly for a short time. This is known as flare. An anti-androgen tablet like flutamide can help to prevent this flare from happening. You will start taking the tablets a week or so before the first injection of LHRH agonists and continue taking them for a week or two afterwards. It is important that you take all of the tablets you have been given.
What are the side effects?
Like all drugs, flutamide can cause side effects in some men. The risk of side effects may vary depending on the dose you are taking. We have listed the most common ones here but you should tell your specialist team if you notice any other changes while you are having treatment.
Some men get very few side effects and others get more. Many side effects will only last for as long as you are taking the drug. However, if you take flutamide for a long period of time, it may take several months after you finish treatment for the side effects to stop.
You can find out more about the side effects of hormone therapy and ways that you can manage them by reading our booklet Living with hormone therapy: A guide for men with prostate cancer. |
Before you take flutamide, you should tell your doctor if you have ever had any heart or liver problems. This is because flutamide can sometimes make these problems worse. You should also let your specialist team know if you are taking any prescription or over-the-counter medicines. If you have any questions or worries about any side effects, speak to your specialist team. You can also call our free and confidential Helpline.
Breast swelling and tenderness
Some men may experience breast swelling (gynaecomastia) and tenderness in the breast area. This can affect one or both breasts and can range from mild sensitivity to ongoing pain. The amount of swelling can also vary from a small amount to a more noticeable enlarged area. Some men also find that a small amount of fluid leaks from their nipples. 1
Feeling sick
Try and take flutamide with food to reduce the risk of feeling or being sick. You may find that your appetite increases, causing you to want to eat more. Your specialist team will be able to suggest ways to manage these problems.
Loss of sex drive and erectile dysfunction
Men taking flutamide may lose their desire for sex (libido). Some men may also have problems getting and keeping an erection. In most cases this will last as long as you are on hormone therapy and may take a while to return to normal if you stop the treatment.
Tiredness
You may feel tired and have trouble sleeping whilst you are taking flutamide. You may find that your tiredness improves over time but many men find that regular exercise gives them more energy and helps them to cope with treatment. 2
Liver problems
Long term use of flutamide may affect the way your liver works 1. Before you take flutamide you may need a blood test to find out how well your liver is working. You may continue to have these blood tests regularly for as long as you are taking flutamide. Avoid drinking too much alcohol and tell your doctor straight away if you get:
- Itchy skin
- Dark coloured urine
- Yellowing of the skin
- Unusual flu-like symptoms
If you have any of these symptoms it may be a sign of a liver problem and you may need to stop taking flutamide. Once you stop treatment, your liver should start working normally again.
| Reporting unusual side effects: The Yellow Card Scheme If you think you are experiencing a side effect from your medication that is not mentioned in the information leaflet that comes with it, then you can report it using the Yellow Card Scheme. This is run by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). They will investigate and if they find a problem with a medication then the MHRA will take action to protect the public. There are three ways you can report a side effect: |
How long will I need to take flutamide?
The length of time you take flutamide for depends on why you are taking it and how well it is working. Read our Hormone therapy fact sheet for information on other treatments that can be used after hormone therapy.
More Information
To find out more about hormone therapy you can read:
- The hormone therapy pages. They give an overview of different types of hormone therapy.
- The booklet Living with hormone therapy: A guide for men with prostate cancer. This includes more detailed information on side effects and ways to manage them.
Reviewed by:
- Mr Simon F Brewster, Consultant Urological Surgeon, Churchill Hospital, Oxford and Honorary Senior Clinical Lecturer in Surgery, University of Oxford
- Bruce Turner, Uro-oncology Nurse Practioner, Homerton University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and Whipps Cross University Hospital NHS Trust, London
- Cathryn Woodward, Consultant Clinical Oncologist, Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge
- The Prostate Cancer Charity Information Volunteers
- The Prostate Cancer Charity Support & Information Specialist Nurses
Written and edited by:
The Prostate Cancer Charity Information Team
References used in the production of this page
1. British National Formulary 59, 2009. BMJ Group & RPS Publishing. Available at: http://bnf.org
2. Segal RJ, Reid RD, Courneya KS et al. Resistance training in men receiving androgen deprivation therapy for prostate cancer. Journal of Clinical Oncology 2003; 21: 1653-1659.