Side Effects From Radiation
Urinary symptoms from radiation treatment for prostate cancer are different from those caused by prostate surgery. Its more like a urinary tract infection-increased urgency and frequency, and men may some have bleeding or pain when they urinate, Calvaresi said. These problems often go away once treatment is complete.
Radiation also may cause bowel changes, such as constipation, loose stools or both. These can be managed by over-the-counter medication. Men may also see some blood in their stool during treatment-if so, let your health care provider know about this.
Men undergoing radiation are likely to have ED, but not immediately. It slowly sets in after radiation treatment, Calvaresi said. Treatments for radiation-related ED are the same as ED caused by prostate cancer surgery.
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Postoperative Care After Prostate Surgery
After a healthy operation and discharge, there are some rules that you must follow. There is a risk of bleeding for the first several months after surgery. Therefore, there are some points to take into consideration. The length of the recovery period after prostate cancer surgery varies depending on some conditions. There are factors such as the type of surgery, the stage of disease, and the patient’s health status. However, overall recovery time is short.
Help Managing Cancer Treatment Side Effects
The team at Compass Oncology is experienced in helping patients treat prostate cancer and manage the side effects of treatment. If you live in the Portland-Vancouver area, have more questions about the side effects of prostate cancer treatment, or need help managing your side effects, request an appointment at one of our locations thats convenient for you. Were here with you every step of the way.
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Loss Of Bladder Control
You may have some light dribbling or trouble controlling your bladder after a radical prostatectomy. This is known as urinary incontinence or urinary leakage. You may need to use a pad to manage urinary leakage for some days or weeks after the operation. Bladder control usually improves in a few weeks but it can take up to a year after the surgery. For about 5% of people, incontinence is ongoing and may need an operation to fix. In rare cases, incontinence may be permanent.
For help managing these problems, see Urinary problems.
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What Can Help With Leaking Urine
There are treatments and products available that can help, and there are things you can do to help yourself. Your treatment options will depend on how much urine youre leaking, and how recently you had your prostate cancer treatment.
Treatments and products available that can help include:
- absorbent pads and pants
- bed protectors and handheld urinals
If you have sudden urges to urinate and sometimes leak urine before you get to the toilet , you may be offered bladder retraining.
If you still leak urine six to twelve months after surgery and pelvic floor muscle exercises havent helped, there are treatments available that might help. These may include:
- an internal male sling
- adjustable balloons
Talk to your doctor or nurse about treatments and products that may be suitable for you.
Absorbent pads and pants
These can be worn inside your underwear or instead of underwear to soak up any leaks. Some people find it helpful to wear close fitting underwear with pads. You may want to try female pads as your leaking improves, as these tend to be smaller and lighter and may fit better. Pads are usually very discreet, so people wont know youre wearing them. But you may feel more confident wearing dark trousers so it wont show as much if your pad does leak.
Pelvic floor muscle exercises
Read about pelvic floor muscle exercises.
Urinary sheaths
Bed protectors and handheld urinals
Penile clamps
Internal male sling
Like all treatments, there can be side effects.
Adjustable balloons
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Side Effects Of Radiation Therapy To Your Prostate
Some people have side effects from radiation therapy. The type and severity of side effects varies from person to person. Your healthcare provider will talk with you about what to expect based on your medical history and specific treatment plan.
This section explains the most common side effects of radiation therapy to the prostate. You may have all, some, or none of these. Most of these side effects will go away several weeks to months after you finish radiation therapy. If you have any of these side effects, your healthcare provider will give you more information and help you manage them.
Questions To Ask Your Doctor Or Nurse
- Is the treatment Im having for prostate cancer likely to cause any urinary problems?
- What type of urinary problems might I get?
- What should I do if I cant urinate?
- Will my urinary problems get better?
- What treatments are available?
- What are the risks and side effects of treatments for urinary problems?
- What can I do to help myself?
- Where can I get pads and other products?
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Considerations When Opting For Surgery
Before agreeing with any surgery, knowing its benefits and risks is vital. It is even more important when the surgery is not urgent, like in the cases of proctectomy.
Thus, one should ask a doctor about various treatment options, prostate surgery recovery, and what to expect after prostate surgery.
Sometimes prostate surgery is one of the options. Thus, it is important to ask a doctor if it would be better to have some watchful waiting.
If one goes for prostate removal, one should know about the benefits, prostate surgery complications, the side effects of living without a prostate, how long prostate cancer surgery is, its impact on sex life, etc.
Additionally, one should inquire about all the surgical options available and consider the risk and benefits of each of the options.
Quite often, doctors may also help in making the decision. Here good communication with a healthcare provider is the key.
Problems After High Intensity Focused Ultrasound
Youre more likely to get urinary problems after HIFU if youve already had other treatments for prostate cancer. Possible urinary problems include:
- difficulty urinating
- urine infections.
Difficulty urinating
HIFU usually causes the prostate to swell for a week or two, so youll have a catheter to drain urine from your bladder until the swelling has gone. HIFU can also cause the urethra to become narrow, making it difficult to empty your bladder .
Leaking urine
HIFU can cause some men to leak urine when they cough, sneeze or exercise . This may be more likely if youve already had radiotherapy. There are ways to manage leaking urine.
Urine infections
Some men get a urine infection after HIFU. If this happens, youll be given a course of antibiotics to clear the infection.
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The Sperling Prostate Center Advantage
Our philosophy is to match the treatment with the disease. Our BlueLaser 3T mpMRI-Guided Biopsy is the most responsible and accurate way to know your disease before making a treatment decision. We help patients avoid the risk of under-treating aggressive disease, or over-treating insignificant disease that can safely be monitored. We pride ourselves on having attained international recognition for excellence in real-time MRI-guided prostate cancer diagnosis.
If BlueLaser 3T mpMRI detects cancer, a biopsy is essential because prostate cancer may not show early symptoms, though certain warning signs indicate increased prostate cancer risk:
- An elevated or rising PSA blood test result
- An abnormal digital rectal exam
- A family history of prostate cancer or breast cancer
- Being of African-American descent
- Exposure to certain cancer-causing toxins, e.g. Vietnam vets exposed to Agent Orange
- In later stages, prostate cancer may show symptoms such as urinary difficulties, blood in urine, pelvic or back pain, and bone pain. See a doctor if any of these symptoms occur.
Why Do Doctors Perform Prostatectomies
Since the prostate gland is not an organ essential for survivability, doctors recommend its removal in some cases. Perhaps the number one cause of removal of the prostate gland would be early-stage prostate cancer.
In such cases, doctors may go for complete prostate removal, or they may even go for radical proctectomy, in which they also remove the surrounding tissues.
However, prostate cancer is not the only cause. Doctors may also recommend prostatectomy to individuals with high risk or high probability of prostate cancer. Such individuals would often have some other severe symptoms like issues urinating.
Doctors may also remove the prostate gland if there are issues like acute urinary retention, recurrent urinary infections, recurrent hematuria, bladder stone, bladder outlet problems not responsive to conservative treatment, renal insufficiency due to chronic bladder obstruction, etc.
So, prostate cancer may be the leading cause of prostatectomy, but there are many other reasons why doctors may recommend it. Moreover, when people live with different non-cancerous prostate issues, they are also at an increased risk of developing prostate cancer.
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Prostate Removal Side Effects
Urinary incontinence
It is a common but temporary effect of prostate surgery. Usually, the symptoms improve within a year after the prostate removal.
Sexual dysfunctions
Erectile dysfunction is one of the most common prostate removal side effects. About 40% of men lose some erectile function after radical prostatectomy, but they see gradual improvements within 2-3 years.
Infertility
Other side effects of prostate removal
In rare cases, bowel function is affected and dry orgasms appear.
When To Call Your Doctor Or Nurse
Its important to tell your doctor or nurse if:
- your bladder feels full or your catheter isnt draining urine
- your catheter leaks or falls out
- your urine contains blood clots, turns cloudy, dark or red, or has a strong smell
- you have a fever
- you feel sick or vomit
- you get cramps in your stomach area that will not go away
- you get pain or swelling in the muscles in your lower legs.
Your doctor or nurse will let you know if you should go to the hospital.
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What Treatments Are Available To Me If My Incontinence Doesnt Go Away After A Year
While kegels and behavioral therapy work well for most men with mild to moderate leaking, they may not be completely effective for some. Luckily, there are still some options for treating bladder leakage after prostate surgery.
Another surgery is sometimes needed when bladder leaks persist for more than a year after surgery. This may consist of having a urethral sling procedure, or an artificial urinary sphincter.
With a urethral sling procedure, a synthetic mesh tape is implanted to support the urethra. Up to an 80% improvement has been seen with this procedure and some men stop leaking completely.
An artificial urinary sphincter is used in patients who have more severe urinary incontinence that is not improving, or for those patients who may have had a lot of damage to the sphincter muscle after prostate surgery. An artificial urinary sphincter is a mechanical ring that helps close the exit from the bladder.
As will all surgeries, these come with pros and cons and potential complications. Be sure to discuss these options with your doctor.
Sore Skin In The Treatment Area
Your skin in the treatment area might get sore, or redden or darken. Following these tips can help with this:
- Wear loose fitting underwear and clothes. Natural fibres can be more comfortable than man-made fibres.
- Gently wash the area each day. Use mild, unperfumed soap and warm or cool water. Try baby soap or liquid baby wash but check with the radiotherapy staff first.
- Gently pat the skin dry with a soft towel. Rubbing the skin can make it sore.
- Don’t use perfumed lotions on the area. Use only creams or dressings recommended by your specialist or radiographer.
- Don’t use talcum powder because it can contain tiny metal particles. The particles can make the soreness worse.
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What Is Enlarged Prostate Surgery
Enlarged prostate can lead to serious issues in men and hamper their lives. They might face many troubles and undergo a lot of pain because of an enlarged prostate gland. Hence enlarged prostate surgery becomes indispensable to reduce the risk of cancer in men.
Enlarged prostate surgery is a surgical procedure used to treat urinary ailments often developed due to an abnormal increase in the size of a prostate. The prostate gland is located just in front of the rectum, underneath the bladder.
It is required in the part of the male reproductive system that produces fluids that transport sperm. The surgical removal of the prostate is known as an enlarged prostate surgery prostatectomy.
The most important causes for prostate surgery are prostate cancer and an enlarged prostate, also known as benign prostatic hyperplasia .
Transurethral resection of the prostate or TURP is commonly used for men who might suffer from moderate to severe urinary problems that have not been cured by medication.
Although TURP has been considered to be the most appropriate cure for an abnormal prostate, a few other procedures are also becoming more popular. These procedures are less prone to complications and have a shorter recovery period than the TURP treatment.
The actual reason for prostate enlargement is unidentified, but it is thought to be related to hormonal changes that occur as men age. As one ages the balance of hormone levels in the body changes, which may cause the prostate gland to grow.
Diet Guidelines To Minimize Bloating
During your radiation therapy, gas or fluid can build up in your bowels and cause bloating. When your bowels are bloated, they can expand into the treatment area and be exposed to radiation. This can cause side effects or make your side effects worse.
Follow the guidelines below to lower your risk of bloating during radiation therapy. Its best to start 2 to 3 days before your simulation and continue until you have finished your radiation therapy.
- Chew your food well.
If youre bloated, keeping a food journal can help you see which foods may be causing it. Write down your foods and drinks, the time you have them, and the time you start feeling bloated. Bring your food journal to your appointments. Your healthcare provider will use it to help you manage the bloating.
A clinical dietitian nutritionist can talk with you about your diet and help you design an eating plan that meets your needs. If youd like to meet with a clinical dietitian nutritionist, ask your radiation oncologist or nurse for a referral.
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The Importance Of Prostate Massage
Prostate massage is a treatment that addresses the root cause of most prostate issues. Treatments like surgery and medications only provide temporary relief by treating the symptoms and not the cause.
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On the other hand, regular prostate massages encourage the gland to work without problems. A man will not be subjected to dangerous side effects from medication or complications from surgery. Massage also helps make the prostate stronger and more resistant from disease and infection.
Advantages Of Prostate Massage
Although regular prostate massage can help to eliminate or reduce the severity of any symptoms a man may have, it can also offer other benefits especially with improved sexual enjoyment and function.
It is a fact that modern medicine has not been able to determine the causes and treatments for many conditions related to the prostate. Even though prevention is the best medicine, prostate massage will help improve your prostateâs health and prevent existing conditions from becoming worse.
However, in the case of bacterial prostatitis, left untreated, can cause intense inflammation and increased bacterial growth.
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After Prostatectomy: What To Expect
At the hospital : You should expect to be in the hospital for one night. At Johns Hopkins, all rooms on the urology floor are private. Here, nurses help patients get moving shortly after surgery to prevent blood clots and other postoperative risks.
First few days at home : After youre sent home, you might find that regular ibuprofen or acetaminophen will be sufficient pain management for the first few days. If over-the-counter medications arent enough, your doctor can help you with alternatives.
One week after surgery : After your surgery site heals, your catheter will be removed. This is usually seven to 10 days after surgery. This can easily be done at your doctors office. Some people decide to take out their catheter at home. If thats the case, ask your doctor for instructions first.
This is also about the time your surgeon will call you with the final pathology results. He or she will discuss what you should know and whether further treatment is necessary.
One month after surgery : Doctors recommend no strenuous activity or heavy lifting for at least one month after surgery. Most people take off work for three to four weeks. If you work from home, you could return to work sooner.
- Urinary incontinence
- Erectile dysfunction
Recovery from surgery takes time. These side effects are often temporary. However, if they are affecting your quality of life, ask your doctor about options that can help.
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Five Potential Sexual Side Effects Of Radical Prostatectomy
Having your prostate removed is a highly effective means of curing prostate cancer. Unfortunately, because of the prostates precarious location in the midst of the busy urinary and genital tracts, connected to the bladder on one end, the urethra on the other end, touching on the rectum, and nestled behind the pubic bone in a well-protected nook of the body prostate removal can cause some unwanted sexual side effects.
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