Prostate Brachytherapy Side Effects

There are two forms of prostate brachytherapy. In one, the prostate gets a permanent implantation of radioactive seeds. In the second form, temporary High Dose Rate (HDR) Brachytherapy implants seeds for a very short time. The latter usually requires two treatments on successive days.

Radiation Urethritis/Cystitis

• Irritation to the urinary tract can cause urgency and frequency, which is usually limited to several weeks after treatment. If bacterial infections develop, this condition can persist longer.

Radiation Proctitis

• Some men develop bowel problems either following treatment or months or even years later; symptoms can include rectal pain, diarrhea and perhaps fecal incontinence.

Hematospermia

• Some men may have small amounts of blood in their semen, a condition called hematospermia. The urethra and/or bladder may shed blood cells for years after treatment.

Urinary Strictures

• The radiation may cause scarring in the urethra (a stricture), which reduces the urine stream, leading to frequent urination and possible bladder infections.

Impotence

• According to Sheldon Marks, studies at radiation prostate cancer treatment centers report varying levels of treatment-caused impotence running between 26 and 61 percent; the rate, according to Stephen Strum, may be even higher in those older than 70.