Cancer drugs A to Z list
Cabazitaxel is a chemotherapy drug. You pronounce it as kuh-ba-zih-tax-ul.
It is a treatment for prostate cancer that has spread to other parts of the body (metastatic cancer).
Cabazitaxel works by stopping cancer cells from separating into two new cells. This blocks the growth of the cancer.
You have cabazitaxel as a drip into your bloodstream (intravenously).
You might have treatment through a long plastic tube that goes into a large vein in your chest. The tube stays in place throughout the course of treatment. This can be a:
central line
PICC line
portacath
You might have treatment through a thin short tube (a cannula) that goes into a vein in your arm. You have a new cannula each time you have treatment.
When you are having this treatment through a cannula it could damage the tissue if it leaks out of the vein. This is called extravasation. This can happen anywhere along the vein that the drug is going into. It doesn’t happen very often. Tell your nurse straight away if you notice any changes such as swelling, redness, pain, burning, or a stinging feeling.
Your nurse will stop the drug treatment. And they will treat the area to relieve symptoms and reduce tissue damage. Contact your healthcare team if you develop any of these symptoms when you are at home.
You have cabazitaxel as . Each cycle lasts 21 days (3 weeks). You might have up to 10 cycles of cabazitaxel.
You also take steroids (prednisolone) as tablets every morning, after breakfast.
Cabazitaxel can cause an allergic reaction. Before each dose you have a steroid, and an antihistamine drug such as chlorphenamine (Piriton). This helps to reduce the chance of you having an allergic reaction.
You might also have a drug called granulocyte colony stimulating factor (G-CSF). This makes your bone marrow produce white blood cells more quickly after treatment. It helps lower your risk of getting an infection.
You usually start G-CSF at the end of each cycle of chemotherapy, and you have it for a few days. Your healthcare team will tell you more about this.
You have blood tests before and during your treatment. They check your levels of and other substances in the blood. They also check how well your liver and kidneys are working.
Before treatment starts you may have a blood test to check for viruses such as hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and HIV. This is called a viral screen.
It’s important for your doctor to know if you have had any of these viruses. This is because this treatment can weaken your and can cause the virus to become active again (reactivation).
Side effects can vary from person to person. They also depend on what other treatments you're having.
Your doctor, nurse or pharmacist will go through the possible side effects. They will monitor you during treatment and check how you are at your appointments. Contact your advice line as soon as possible if:
you have severe side effects
your side effects aren’t getting any better
your side effects are getting worse
Early treatment can help manage side effects better.
We haven't listed all the side effects here. Talk to your healthcare team if you have any new symptoms that you think might be a side effect of your treatment.
Remember it is very unlikely that you will have all of these side effects. But you might have some of them at the same time.
These side effects happen in more than 10 in 100 people (more than 10%). You might have one or more of them. They include:
Increased risk of getting an infection is due to a drop in . Symptoms include a change in temperature, aching muscles, cough, headaches, feeling cold and shivery, pain or a burning feeling when peeing or generally feeling unwell. You might have other symptoms depending on where the infection is.
Infections can sometimes be life threatening. You should contact your advice line urgently if you think you have an infection.
You might be breathless and look pale due to a drop in . This is called anaemia.
This is due to a drop in the number of platelets in your blood. These blood cells help the blood to clot when we cut ourselves. You may have nosebleeds or bleeding gums after brushing your teeth. Or you may have lots of tiny red spots or bruises on your arms or legs. This is known as petechiae.
You might lose your appetite for various reasons while having cancer treatment. Sickness, taste changes or tiredness can put you off food and drinks.
is easier to sort out if you treat it early. Drink plenty and eat as much fresh fruit and vegetables as you can. Try to take gentle exercise, such as walking. Tell your healthcare team if you think you are constipated. They can give you a if needed.
Contact your advice line if you have diarrhoea. For example, in one day you have 2 or more loose bowel movements than usual. If you have a , you might have more output than normal. Your doctor may give you anti diarrhoea medicine to take home with you after treatment.
Try to eat small meals and snacks regularly. It’s best to try to have a healthy balanced diet if you can. You don’t necessarily need to stop eating foods that contain . But if your diet is normally very high in fibre, it might help to cut back on high fibre foods such as beans, nuts, seeds, dried fruit, bran and raw vegetables.
Drink plenty to try and replace the fluid lost. Aim for 8 to 10 glasses per day.
Feeling sick is usually well controlled with anti sickness medicines. Avoiding fatty or fried foods, eating small meals and snacks, drinking plenty of water, and relaxation techniques can all help.
It is important to take anti sickness medicines as directed by your doctor or pharmacist, even if you don’t feel sick. It is easier to prevent sickness rather than treating it once it has started.
You might have pain in your back. Speak to your doctor or nurse about what painkillers you can take to help with this.
Less commonly you might have pain in other parts of your body such as your tummy (abdomen), pelvis, arms or legs.
This can be caused by different reasons, including infection. Tell your doctor if you see blood in your pee or have any pain when you are peeing.
You might feel very tired and as though you lack energy.
Various things can help you to reduce tiredness and cope with it, for example exercise. Some research has shown that taking gentle exercise can give you more energy. It is important to balance exercise with resting.
These side effects happen in between 1 and 10 out of every 100 people (between 1 and 10%). You might have one or more of them. They include:
sepsis is a serious reaction to an infection - signs can include feeling very unwell, not passing urine, a very high or very low temperature, shivering, slurred speech or confusion, breathlessness, mottled or discoloured skin, extreme shivering or muscle pain. Call 999 or go to accident and emergency (A&E) immediately if you have any of these symptoms
blood clots that are life threatening; signs are pain, swelling and redness where the clot is. Feeling breathless can be a sign of a blood clot on the lung. Contact your advice line or doctor straight away if you have any of these symptoms
an irregular or very fast heart rate. Tell your doctor or nurse if you feel dizzy, short of breath or tired or your heart feels like it’s pounding or fluttering, or you have any chest pain
numbness, tingling or a burning feeling in the hands and feet
headaches
dizziness or feeling like you or everything around you is spinning. Don’t drive or operate heavy machinery if you feel dizzy
changes to your blood pressure
tummy problems which include pain, feeling bloated, burping or heartburn
a sore or dry mouth
swollen veins in or around your anus (called piles or haemorrhoids) which can be painful and may bleed slightly when you open your bowels. A cream from your pharmacist can help. Tell your doctor or nurse straight away if you have a lot of bleeding
pain in your muscles or muscle spasms
pain or difficulty peeing (passing urine) or leaking urine (incontinence)
swelling, usually in arms and legs (oedema)
skin changes such as dry or red skin
changes to the nails
mood changes such as feeling confused or anxious
not enough fluid in the body (dehydration)
high blood sugar levels
low potassium levels in your blood
watery eyes or redness and inflammation of the eye (conjunctivitis)
changes to taste
hair loss or thinning
difficulty staying or getting to sleep
sudden feeling of warmth around the head, neck and chest (hot flush)
a cough or feeling breathlessness
chills
changes to how the liver works - you have regular blood tests to check your liver
hot flushes
problems with your kidneys - you have regular blood tests to check your kidneys
weight loss
These side effects happen in fewer than 1 in 100 people (less than 1%). You might have one or more of them. They include:
allergic reaction. You have medicine before you have cabazitaxel to reduce the risk of a reaction. Tell your doctor or nurse straight away if you feel short of breath, itchy, hot or shivery or have a rash
not able to pee due to a blockage. Tell your doctor or nurse if you are unable to pee
ringing in your ears (tinnitus)
bowels not working properly. Tell your healthcare team about any changes to your bowel habits
inflammation of the stomach, bleeding from the stomach or both
a tear or hole in the stomach or bowel
pain, weakness or numb legs
a drop in blood pressure when you stand up, which can make you feel faint or lightheaded
We have more information about side effects and tips on how to cope with them.
Cancer drugs can interact with medicines, herbal products, and some food and drinks. We do not list these interactions on this page. An example is grapefruit or grapefruit juice which can increase the side effects of certain drugs.
Tell your healthcare team about any medicines you are taking. This includes vitamins, herbal supplements and over the counter remedies. Also let them know about any other medical conditions or allergies you may have.
You may not be able to get someone pregnant after treatment with this drug. Talk to your doctor before starting treatment if you think you want to have a baby in the future. You may be able to store sperm before starting treatment.
This treatment might harm a baby developing in the womb. It is important not to get someone pregnant while you are having treatment and for at least 4 months afterwards. Talk to your doctor or nurse about effective contraception before starting treatment.
If you are having tests or treatment for anything else, always mention your cancer treatment. For example, if you are visiting your dentist.
Do not have live vaccines while you’re having treatment and for up to 12 months afterwards. For some people, it may be longer than this. The length of time you need to avoid live vaccines depends on the treatment you’ve had.
Ask your doctor or pharmacist how long you should avoid live vaccinations.
In the UK, live vaccines include rubella, mumps, measles, chickenpox, BCG, and yellow fever. You can usually have non-live vaccines. But they might not give you as much protection as usual. These include the:
flu vaccine, as an injection
coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine
Talk to your doctor or pharmacist about the best time to have a vaccine in relation to your cancer treatment.
You can be in contact with other people who have had live vaccines as injections. If someone has had a live vaccine by mouth or nasal spray there may be a small risk the vaccine virus can be passed onto you if your is weakened.
Your healthcare team will let you know if you need to take any precautions if you are in close contact with someone who has had a live vaccine.
For further information about this treatment and possible side effects go to the electronic Medicines Compendium (eMC) website. You can find the patient information leaflet on this website.
You can report any side effect you have to the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) as part of their Yellow Card Scheme.
Last reviewed: 14 Sept 2026
Next review due: 14 Sept 2029
Prostate cancer is cancer that starts in the prostate gland. The prostate gland is found at the base of the bladder and is about the size of a walnut.
Chemotherapy is a standard treatment for some types of cancer. It uses anti cancer drugs to destroy cancer cells.
Coping with cancer can be difficult. There is help and support available. Find out about the emotional, physical and practical effects of cancer and how to manage them.
Cancer drugs have side effects and these can vary from person to person. But there are things that you can do to help you cope.
About Cancer generously supported by Dangoor Education since 2010. Learn more about Dangoor Education
Search our clinical trials database for all cancer trials and studies recruiting in the UK.
Connect with other people affected by cancer and share your experiences.
Questions about cancer? Call freephone 0808 800 40 40 from 9 to 5 - Monday to Friday. Alternatively, you can email us.
