Bicalutamide
Bicalutamide is an anti-androgen tablet used to treat prostate cancer. It is sold here as Casodex 50mg tablets, taken once a day.
How bicalutamide works
Prostate cancer usually needs testosterone to grow. Most hormone treatment works by cutting how much testosterone the body makes; bicalutamide takes a different route. It parks itself on the androgen receptor — the docking point testosterone uses to send its growth signal — and blocks it. Testosterone is still circulating, but the cancer cells cannot read its instructions. That makes bicalutamide a non-steroidal anti-androgen: a blocker of testosterone's action rather than a hormone. It is normally part of a wider plan, given with radiotherapy or with a medicine that does lower testosterone.
Fitting the tablet into your day
Breakfast is as good a marker as any — or last thing at night, if that is easier to remember. The tablet is taken once a day at roughly the same time, because a steady level matters more than the exact hour, and food makes no difference to it. Swallow it whole with water. Nothing happens in the first hour; this is not a painkiller and it does not bring fast relief. Its effect builds quietly, and PSA blood tests over the weeks that follow show whether it is working.
Side effects
Dampening testosterone signalling shows up in the body. Breast tenderness, sometimes with swelling, is what most men notice, along with hot flushes, tiredness, a lower sex drive and disturbed sleep. Nausea, constipation or loose stools can appear in the first weeks and then ease. The liver is where the serious risk lies: bicalutamide can push up liver enzymes and, rarely, damage the liver itself. The signs to know are jaundice (yellowing of the skin or the whites of the eyes), dark urine and an ache below the right ribs. A cough or breathlessness that will not clear can also be a reaction to the tablet.
Medicines that interact with bicalutamide
Warfarin and other blood thinners can become more powerful while bicalutamide is taken, which raises the chance of bleeding; INR blood tests, which check how long blood takes to clot, pick that up. Rifampicin, and epilepsy medicines such as carbamazepine and phenytoin, speed up the liver's handling of bicalutamide and leave less of it in the body. Ketoconazole, an antifungal, slows that handling down and leaves more.
Buying bicalutamide
Casodex 50mg tablets are what is sold here: oral tablets containing bicalutamide, one a day, in the 50mg strength. Casodex is the brand name for the ingredient, and the same 50mg strength also comes under the plain name Bicalutamide. They sit in the oncology range, alongside other cancer medicines.
Sources
- Bicalutamide: MedlinePlus Drug Information — MedlinePlus / U.S. National Library of Medicine
- Hormone therapy for prostate cancer | Cancer Research UK — cancerresearchuk.org
Can I order Bicalutamide online in Hong Kong?
Bicalutamide can be ordered online with delivery to Hong Kong. The page carries generic Casodex, also sold as plain Bicalutamide tablets, as 50mg tablets. Every order ships in plain, unbranded packaging with nothing on the outside about the contents.
What is the price of Bicalutamide?
The bicalutamide product has its own price per pack, shown on its page in HKD or your selected currency; larger packs usually cost less per unit.
Is there a generic Casodex?
Yes, generic Casodex is listed as 50mg tablets and contains bicalutamide. It is also sold as the plain version, Bicalutamide tablets, at the same 50mg strength. It is an oral tablet.
What is another name for bicalutamide?
Casodex is a brand name of bicalutamide. Here, bicalutamide can be bought online as generic Casodex. These are generics, not the original brand.
How long does bicalutamide take to work?
It begins blocking androgen receptors with the first tablet, but you will not feel it working. The response is tracked with PSA blood tests, and a fall usually shows over several weeks rather than days. Relief from symptoms, when it comes, tends to follow more slowly.
Can bicalutamide be taken with other prostate cancer treatment?
Yes. It is often given with radiotherapy, or alongside an injection or implant that lowers testosterone, because the two work on the cancer in different ways. The 50mg strength is the one used in these combinations, taken once a day as normal.
How long is bicalutamide usually taken for?
Hormone treatment for prostate cancer is generally long-term. Some men take bicalutamide for a few months around a course of radiotherapy; others stay on it for years while it holds the cancer in check. The length depends on the stage of the disease and how it responds.
What happens if I miss a dose of bicalutamide?
If you remember later the same day, take it then. If the day has already passed, let that one go and carry on at your usual time; doubling up is not a way to catch up. A steady daily slot is what keeps the level even.
Does bicalutamide cause breast tenderness?
It is the most common side effect. The tissue behind the nipple can become sore, and one or both breasts may enlarge, usually within the first few months of treatment. A soft, supportive vest sometimes eases the discomfort.