Casodex is used to treat prostate cancer:

• It is currently used in combination with medical (other hormone treatments, for example, Zoladex (goserelin)) or surgical castration (removal of the testes) for the treatment of advanced disease, when the cancer has spread to areas of the body away from the prostate gland.
  
  
• It is also used in earlier stages of prostate cancer where the cancer is confined to the prostate gland or has spread no further than tissue close to the prostate.

Casodex belongs to a group of medicines called anti-androgens:

• This means that it interferes with some of the actions of male sex hormones (androgens) within the body.
  
  
• Testosterone is a male sex hormone, which in certain stages of prostate cancer helps promote the growth of cancer cells in the prostate gland.
  
  
• By blocking the action of testosterone, Casodex prevents the sex hormone from stimulating the growth of prostate cancer cells and therefore stops or slows their growth.