Prostate Cancer Treatment Risks: Radiotherapy
Radiotherapy is a prostate cancer treatment often used to treat the condition in its early stages, with radiation being used to kill cancer cells in the localized area of the prostate gland.
Radiotherapy can also be used with more advanced prostate cancer to relieve the symptoms and slow the spread of the cancerous cells.
As with most types of prostate cancer treatment, there potential side effects and risks. These are both short and long term.
Short Term Side Effects of Radiotherapy
- Pain or discomfort around the rectum
- Loss of pubic hair
- Diarrhea
- Fatigue
Radiotherapy as a prostate cancer treatment can also cause short term cystitis which can make urinating painful and more frequent.
Long Term Risks of Radiotherapy
When radiotherapy is used as a prostate cancer treatment, there is a 30-50% chance of developing two long term side effects. These are:
- Inability to obtain an erection
- Urinary incontinence
In most cases these will be resolved over time, but in a small number of cases they are permanent side effects.
Read more about different types of prostate cancer treatment here.
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