Prostate Cancer Treatment Side Effects
Physicians plan very carefully for the treatment of prostate cancer, but whenever they remove or treat cancerous cells, it is inevitable that healthy cells and tissues are destroyed. Unfortunately, this can cause a variety of side effects for the patient in addition to the other side effects that they are possibly experiencing because of the prostate cancer.
The side effects cannot be predicted accurately because they depend on the type of treatment that is administered and the intensity of the treatment. In addition, each patient reacts differently to the different treatment; therefore, it is hard to judge what particular side effects each patient will experience.
Surgery Side Effects
The main side effect of surgery is pain. The pain can be controlled through the use of medication and will usually only last for a few days after the procedure has been done. Prostate cancer surgery can also leave the patient impotent or with urinary incontinence, but this happened more in the past that it does today. With nerve sparing surgery, surgeons are able to remove the cancerous area and save the nerves. This minimizes impotence and incontinence as temporary side effects.
Radiation Therapy Side Effects
Several side effects are associated with radiation therapy. They are:
• Fatigue. Radiation treatments can make the patient feel extremely tired; however, it is advised that the patient stay as active as they can after therapy.
• Diarrhea
• Frequent and uncomfortable urination
• Hair loss in pelvic area. Hair loss can be either permanent or temporary, depending upon the amount of radiation used.
• Irritated, tender, red skin. This will occur in patients who receive external radiation therapy treatment.
• Impotence. External radiation therapy treatment, depending on the amount of radiation used, can cause impotence by causing nerve damage to the nerves that produce an erection. This happens more often in external radiation therapy treatment than in internal radiation therapy.
Hormone Therapy Effects
Depending on the medication that is prescribed, effects can be different. In general, as a group, hormone therapy can cause a variety of effects, including:
• Loss of sexual desire
• Impotence
• Hot flashes
• “Tumor Flare” at the beginning of the treatment
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Tenderness/swelling of the breasts if estrogen is prescribed (this is not recommended for men who have a history of heart disease)
This list of prostate cancer treatment effects applies to the most common forms of prostate cancer treatment options. However, additional treatment options are available for the prostate cancer patient and with those treatments come different effects. If you have any questions about the effects that your treatment will cause, ask your physician prior to the procedure so that you will know what to expect.
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