Radiation therapy uses high energy rays to kill cancer cells, and radiation to the prostate is commonly used to treat prostate cancer. Radiation to the prostate can be given in two ways: externally, by a machine that aims beams of radiation to the prostate; and internally, when radioactive seeds or pellets are placed in the prostate near the cancer. Radiation therapy can cause side effects, some of which can be long-term, but not everyone will experience all the side effects.
Impotence
Impotence following radiation therapy for prostate cancer typically does not happen immediately, but rather gradually over a year or two, according to the American Cancer Society. Past studies cited by the American Cancer Society state that half of men who had normal erections prior to radiation therapy for prostate cancer eventually became impotent because of the treatment. Newer techniques of administering radiation to minimize damage may reduce the numbers of men having erectile dysfunction. The older a patient is when he receives radiation to the prostate, the more likely it is that he will experience problems with impotence.
Bladder Problems and Incontinence
During and right after radiation therapy, you might have to urinate more frequently and have burning during urination or blood in your urine. In most patients, this subsides over time. However, in approximately one out of three patients, these problems never go away, and frequent urination is a long-term problem. The risk of incontinence increases each year post-radiation therapy, according to the American Cancer Society.
Rectal Problems
Proctitis is inflammation of the rectum and anal sphincter, according to the Prostate Cancer Treatment Guide, and may occur with radiation to the prostate. Symptoms may include blood in the stool and a persistent feeling of needing to have a bowel movement. Proctitis can usually be managed or treated with laser surgery, suppositories or enemas. With older radiation techniques, approximately 10 to 20 percent of men reported long-term bowel problems following radiation therapy to the prostate, and it remains to be seen if newer techniques of radiation therapy will lower the incidence of bowel problems, according to the American Cancer Society.
