Prostate Cancer Treatments & Side Effects

There are several treatment options for prostate cancer, from palliative to curative. Each therapy is associated with a set of benefits and risks. To decide what treatment is best for you, it is important to know your options and the side effects involved.

Radiation Therapy

• External beam radiation kills the prostate cancer by using high-energy radiation from an outside source. Brachytherapy is a form of radiation treatment in which radiative seeds are implanted near or in the malignant area of the prostate gland.

Radiation Side Effects

• Radiation may cause rectal irritation, pain, burning, frequency, urgency of bowel movements and sometimes bleeding. Urinary side effects include lower urinary tract irritation, pain, inflammation, burning, urinary frequency, urinary urgency and painful urination. Both treatments may cause erectile dysfunction and almost certainly sterility.

Laparoscopic Radical Prostatectomy

• Laparoscopic radical prostatectomy, simply known as prostate surgery, involves the removal of the entire prostate gland and the seminal vesicles, through tiny incisions using a laparoscope.

Prostate Surgery Side Effects

• According to Peter T. Scardino, chairman of the Department of Urology at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, following prostate surgery, 85 percent of men will recover erections sufficient for intercourse. Infertility, however, is synonymous with the procedure.

Hormonal Therapy

• Hormonal therapy, primarily an option for older men, involves the elimination of male hormones from the body.

Side Effects of Hormonal Therapy

• Depending of the type of hormonal therapy, the following side effects can be experienced: infection, bleeding pain, diarrhea, liver damage and impaired night vision.