Side Effects From Prostate Cancer Radiation Therapy

The side effects of external beam radiation therapy tend to be less severe than the side effects of other prostate cancer treatments.

Side effects from prostate cancer radiation therapy.

Depending on the stage of the prostate cancer and other factors radiation therapy might be used. Short term complications you may experience some temporary urinary symptoms such as waking up in the night and needing to urinate needing to urinate more often during the day or urgency needing to. As the first treatment for cancer that is still just in the prostate gland and is low grade cure rates for men with these types of cancers are about the same as those for men treated with radical prostatectomy. Long term side effects of radiation therapy for prostate cancer studies show that over time men who have undergone this procedure tend to develop long term side effects.

Radiation therapy also called x ray therapy uses high levels of radiation to kill prostate cancer cells or keep them from growing and dividing while minimizing damage to healthy cells. However these radiotherapy side effects are less common and occur only when the radiation damages your body. When it comes to prostate cancer there are two kinds of radiation treatment. Learn more about possible side effects.

Most side effects are temporary can be controlled and generally improve over time once treatment has ended. Doctors will often use external radiation therapy for prostate cancer patients who want to avoid the risks of surgery. Patients who receive any type of radiation therapy external beam or brachytherapy to treat their prostate cancer can have side effects. Many people who get radiation therapy experience fatigue.

Because the prostate is close to several vital structures radiation therapy can disrupt normal urinary bowel and sexual functioning. Radiation therapy uses high energy rays or particles to kill cancer cells. Other side effects depend on the part of the body that is being treated. Radiation therapy has long been a staple of treatment for many types of cancers.

External beam radiation and. Short term side effects are ones that start during or shortly after your radiation treatment.