No, Xtandi isn’t chemotherapy (traditional drugs used to treat cancer). It works differently in your body than chemotherapy does.
Chemotherapy targets fast-growing cells in your body. Since cancer cells typically multiply (make more cells) quickly, they’re affected by chemotherapy. However, some healthy cells in your body also multiply quickly. These healthy cells can also be affected by chemotherapy.
Xtandi is a type of hormonal therapy, called an androgen receptor inhibitor. It works on more specific types of cells than chemotherapy does.
Androgen receptor inhibitors work by blocking (inhibiting) androgens from binding to their receptors (attachment sites). Androgens are a group of hormones, which includes testosterone.
This action can help to slow down the growth and spread of certain cancer cells. This may help stop the growth of prostate tumors and lead to death of prostate cancer cells.