What Can I Do To Take Care Of Myself During Imrt
Before your treatment, your doctor, in conjunction with radiation specialists, will carefully plan your care and advise you on specific steps to get you ready for IMRT. Additionally, they will give you information about the potential side effects of the treatment and details for what to do if you notice any changes.
Importantly, IMRT to treat prostate cancer can be physically and psychologically draining. Some of the actions below can help you manage the impact of IMRT on your daily life.
- Get ample amounts of sleep to help manage the impact of radiation-induced fatigue and tiredness.
- Eat a healthy and balanced diet to help heal and repair damaged tissues. Your doctor will help you make changes to your diet, especially if you have appetite-related side effects.
- Clean the skin affected by radiation with products approved by your doctor.
- Talk to your doctor before initiating any new medications or supplements.
Will I Need To See My Doctor After My Imrt Treatment Is Over
Once your IMRT is finished, it is important for you to have regular visits with your doctor to check how well your treatment is working and to deal with any side effects that you may have. Your doctor will want to see you every three to four months for two to three years. Your doctor will schedule your appointments and order any tests you need to make sure you have the best follow-up care possible. Don’t be afraid to ask about any tests or treatments that your doctor orders. Use these appointments to learn about the things you need to do to take good care of yourself following your prostate cancer treatment. .
Helping Yourself After Your IMRT Treatments.
- When do you need to see your doctor or health care team?
- How can you reach your doctor or health care team?
Hormone Therapy Side Effects
Testosterone is the primary male hormone, and plays an important role in establishing and maintaining typical male characteristics, such as body hair growth, muscle mass, sexual desire, and erectile function, and contributes to a host of other normal physiologic processes in the body. The primary systemic…
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Where Does Sperm Go After Prostatectomy
You no longer ejaculate semen if you have had a radical prostatectomy. This is because the prostate gland and 2 glands called the seminal vesicles are removed. The seminal vesicles make the liquid part of the sperm. Your testicles will still make sperm cells but they will be reabsorbed back into your body.
Short Term Side Effects
Patients who receive any type of radiation therapy to treat their prostate cancer can have side effects. Short term side effects are ones that start during or shortly after your radiation treatment. Below is a list of possible short term side effects. Treatments can affect each patient differently, and you may not have these particular side effects. Talk with your care team about what you can expect from your treatment
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Long Term Side Effects
Once the inflammation is all healed, there can be some scarring that occurs. This is one way in which the body heals inflammation. Scarring can cause long term side effects. An example would be some scarring of the blood vessels and nerves that control the erections, which would result in erectile dysfunction .
Long term side effects are harder to treat, because it is not easy to treat scar tissue. Treatments like hyperbaric oxygen therapy and laser therapy may be required. As well, long term side effects can be long lasting or permanent.
Fortunately, the most common urinary and rectal side effects with prostate radiation are short term side effects. The only common long term side effect is weakening of the erections. Less common long term side effects are bleeding from the rectum and incontinence .
Q) Will I feel sick while Im on radiation?
A) No. The side effects are mostly in the prostate, rectum, and bladder area.
Q) I have heard that radiation can burn you up. Will I get burns on my skin?
A) No. There is usually no skin reaction from prostate radiation. Occasionally there can be a few pinkish patches that go away in a few weeks.
Q) Will I be able to work? Will I be able to drive? Will I be able to play golf?
A) Yes, yes, yes!
What Are The Side Effects
Urinary symptoms are the most common. These include frequent urination and a need to get to the bathroom quickly. Some men have a burning with urination and, in a few cases, an inability to empty the bladder completely.
These symptoms can usually be managed with medicine, and they improve over time. Temporary self-catheterization may be necessary to help drain the bladder.
Urinary incontinence from brachytherapy is rare. The risk may be somewhat increased in patients who have undergone a previous surgical procedure to remove a part of the prostate called a TURP . A doctor can minimize this risk by doing a careful prostate ultrasound before the procedure to determine how much prostate tissue is still present to implant the seeds.
Rectal bleeding occurs in less than 1% of patients. Diarrhea is rare.
The impotence rate at five years after the procedure is about 25% using brachytherapy alone. If hormone therapy is added, the impotence rate rises depending on the duration of the hormonal treatment.
Bowel problems can sometimes happen and include rectal pain, burning pain and diarrhea.
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Bowel Dysfunction After Prostate Cancer Treatment
The broad term of bowel dysfunction includes:
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Diarrhea or frequent stools
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Fecal incontinence or the inability to control bowel movements
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Rectal bleeding
All of these side effects are far more common following external beam radiotherapy than any other primary therapy, but as techniques and dose planning strategies improve, even these rates have been dropping.
Urinary And Bowel Changes
Radiation therapy can cause permanent urinary and bowel changes. Many people dont notice any changes or have any symptoms. However, some people have late side effects.
Late side effects may be similar to the ones you had during treatment. Theres a very small chance you may develop other side effects. For example:
- The opening of your bladder may become narrower.
- You may lose your ability to control your bladder.
- You may have blood in your urine.
- You may have bleeding from your rectum.
- Your rectum may be injured.
These side effects are rare. They may come and go over time or be persistent and chronic. Your healthcare team will help you manage them.
Even if you dont develop any late side effects, remember that the tissues in your bladder and rectum were affected by your radiation therapy. Call your radiation oncologist if you:
- Have any new urinary, bladder, or bowel symptoms.
- Need to have a colonoscopy. Avoid having a colonoscopy for the first year after radiation therapy.
- Need any type of urological or rectal procedure.
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What Does External Beam Radiotherapy Involve
You will have your treatment at a hospital radiotherapy department. Youll see a specialist doctor who treats cancer with radiotherapy, known as a clinical oncologist. You may also see a specialist nurse and a specialist radiographer. Theyll talk to you about your treatment plan and ways to manage any side effects.
Before your radiotherapy treatment
Radiotherapy planning session
A week or two before your treatment, youll have a planning session. This is to make sure the radiographers know the exact position, size and shape of your prostate. It will help them make sure the radiotherapy is aimed at your prostate and that the surrounding areas get as little radiation as possible.
During your radiotherapy treatment
You will have one treatment at the hospital five days a week, with a rest over the weekend. You can go home after each treatment.
If you have localised prostate cancer, the course of radiotherapy usually involves 20 treatment sessions over four weeks. You might hear this called hypo-fractionated radiotherapy.
At some hospitals, youll have 37 sessions over seven or eight weeks instead. If you have 37 sessions, youll receive a slightly larger overall dose of radiotherapy but the dose you receive at each session will be lower than if you have 20 sessions.
Its safe for you to be around other people, including children and pregnant women, during your course of radiotherapy. The radiation doesnt stay in your body so you wont give off any radiation.
Questions To Ask Your Doctor Nurse Or Radiographer
You may find it helpful to keep a note of any questions you have to take to your next appointment.
- What type of radiotherapy will I have?
- How many sessions will I need?
- What other treatment options do I have?
- What are the possible side effects and how long will they last?
- What treatments are available to manage the possible side effects from radiotherapy?
- Will I have hormone therapy and will this carry on after radiotherapy?
- How and when will I know if radiotherapy has worked?
- If the radiotherapy doesnt work, which other treatments can I have?
- Who should I contact if I have any questions?
- What support is there to help manage long-term side effects?
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The Earlier The Detection Of Prostate Cancer The Better The Patient’s Chance Of Survival Is
Here’s an overview of the radiation therapy side e. Learn about radiation therapy for prostate cancer here. The earlier the detection of prostate cancer, the better the patient’s chance of survival is. Radiation therapy is a common treatment for several types of cancer. Prostate cancer is one of the most common types of cancer diagnosed in men. Learn more about this treatment option with this basic guide. The hormones that your thyroid gland produces help regulate several of your bodily functions. Although screenings for prostate cancer are one tool for early detecti. However, as with other types of cancer,. Unless otherwise noted, the information in this guide is sourced from the mayo clinic, the md. Does anyone know about this therapy ?side effects ? Prostate cancer is a common type of cancer in men, according to the mayo clinic. Proton therapy is a cancer treatment option that’s just as futuristic as it sounds.
One in seven men in the united states will receive a prostate cancer diagnosis during his lifetime prostate cancer radiation treatment. These include your blood pressure, heart rate and metab.
But hearing the words can still be scary. However, as with other types of cancer,. Here are 10 more facts about prostate cancer.
But hearing the words can still be scary. Learn about radiation therapy for prostate cancer here. Please understand that our phone lines must be cl.
What Are The Dangers Of Radiotherapy Prostate Cancer Treatment
Radiotherapy is considered effective for treatment of cancer with a success rate of above 90%. But is it safe for prostate cancer treatment? Does it cause any side effects? And if yes, are radiation therapy side effects reversible?
Well, radio frequency is pain-free and considered safe for prostate cancer treatment. To help you understand the safety of this procedure we shall look at both the short and long-term side effects resulting from this treatment.
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The Success Rate Of Prostate Surgery
Survival rates can tell you how many people with the same type and stage of cancer are still alive 5 years after being diagnosed. For example, if you have stage 3 colon cancer, there is a 66% chance that 5 years later, you will be alive. But the rates cannot tell you how long you will live. However, they may help give you an idea of how likely your treatment will be successful.
Survival rates are estimates. They are based on data from many people who have had cancer before. These numbers might be confusing because they dont tell you what will happen, but they can help doctors decide treatments. Talk with your doctor to see if these statistics apply to you because they know about your situation.
A relative survival rate tells how likely a person is to survive a particular type of cancer. I.e., if the 5-year close survival rate for prostate cancer is 90%, it means that men who have this type of cancer are about 90% as likely as other men to live a minimum of 5 years after being diagnosed with the disease.
Prostate Cancer Treatment: Radiation Therapy
Radiation, focused as a beam, can be used to kill cancer cells, especially those cells that have migrated from the prostate gland. Beams of radiation can be used to reduce bone pain caused by invasive cancer cells.
Low Dose Rate Brachytherapy
In another type of radiation therapy termed low dose rate brachytherapy, radioactive pellets about the size of a grain of rice are inserted into the prostate.
High Dose Rate Brachytherapy
High dose rate brachytherapy applies more radioactive sources temporarily into the cancerous prostate gland.
Both methods have side effects that can include erectile dysfunction, urinary tract problems, diarrhea, and other side effects.
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What Are The Side Effects Of Brachytherapy
- Frequent urination or urinary retention or burning with urination
- Erectile dysfunction
- Urethral stricture or narrowing of the urethra
- Diarrhea or blood in the stool
- Secondary cancers
For the short time that the seeds are giving off larger amounts of radiation, you should avoid close proximity to children or pregnant women. Make sure to talk with your radiation oncologist or oncology nurse for instruction about radiation safety and exposure for family members or pets.
If you are traveling through an airport following brachytherapy treatment, there is a chance that radiation detectors will be set off. Talk to your radiation oncologist and ask for a note to indicate youve just had radiation treatment.
What Side Effects May I Have During Or After My Imrt Treatments
There are several side effects that you may have during or after your IMRT treatments. They are urinary problems, bowel problems, erectile dysfunction or impotence , skin problems, loss of appetite and tiredness. Remember, that IMRT treatments are focused on your prostate cancer. This protects the healthy cells around your prostate, which means you may have fewer side effects and that the side effects you do have wont be as bad.
The urinary problems you may have are:
The bowel problems you may have are:
- Soreness in your rectal areaYou may have soreness in your rectal area. This usually goes away by itself. If you are very sore, let you doctor or health care team know. There are medicines and things that you can do to be more comfortable.
- Rectal Urgency
The erectile dysfunction problem you may have is:
- Fewer erectionsMost men do not have problems with erections or intercourse during or right after IMRT. Over time, you may find that you are not having as many erections as you used to. This is because the radiation can harm the nerves near your prostate that help you have erections. Talk to your doctor or health care team if you have a problem like this.
The skin problems you may have are:
Another problem you may have is:
If you have trouble figuring out how to make changes to deal with your tiredness, you may want to talk with your doctor or health care team.
Another problem you may have is:
Managing your side effects.
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Types Of Prostate Surgery
There are several ways of removing the prostate keyhole surgery either by hand or robot-assisted, and open surgery.
Although robot-assisted keyhole surgery is the newest technique, the most recent research suggests all three techniques are as good as each other for treating prostate cancer, as long as the surgeon is experienced. They also have similar rates of side effects.
The advantages of keyhole surgery, both by hand and robot-assisted, are that you are likely to lose less blood, have less pain, spend less time in hospital, and heal more quickly than with open surgery.
Keyhole surgery
Keyhole surgery .
- Robot-assisted keyhole surgery Your surgeon makes five or six small cuts in your lower abdomen and a slightly bigger cut near your belly button, and removes the prostate using special surgical tools. These include a thin, lighted tube with a small camera on the tip. The image will appear on a screen so the surgeon can see what theyre doing. Your surgeon controls the tools from a console in the operating room via four or five robotic arms. Although its called robot-assisted, its still a surgeon who does the operation. You may hear the equipment called the da Vinci® Robot.
- Keyhole surgery by hand As with robot-assisted keyhole surgery, the surgeon will make four or five small cuts in your abdomen. But they will hold the surgical tools in their hands, rather than using robotic arms.
Open surgery
Can Erectile Dysfunction Be Treated
There are several treatment and management options for erectile dysfunction. However, your ability to have an erection after prostate cancer treatment can be affected by several things:
- How good your erections were before treatment
- Other medical conditions like high blood pressure and diabetes
- Other medicines you may take
- Your lifestyle, drinking, or smoking
- The type of treatment you had
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Re: Prostate Cancer Late Onset Of Side Effects
I visited the Colon specialist this week, wants to do a flexible sigmoidoscopy next week to look around and see what the problem may be. Hopefully after that we can agree a treatment plan. I updated the Radiation Oncologist and GP, hoping the GP would give me a holistic view, with all the problems, my lack of sleep, pain management and weight loss but he was less than helpful. Told me that I should relax and I am getting the best people involved in my treatment. Not what I was looking for after 4 months of pain and no resolution. So after this procedure next week I may start looking for a new GP.