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How these treatments may
cause problems
1. Radiation may not kill all of the cancer cells.
2. You may have some side effects from either type of
radiation, but how often they happen may be different.
- Problems holding your urine:
You may have just a few weeks of not being able to control
your urine.
- But about 2 to 4 men out of 100 have this as a permanent
problem for internal seed radiation. This means 96 to 98
men out of 100 will not have any urination problems.
- This is rarely a problem for men receiving external
beam radiation.
- Problems passing urine:
It may be painful or difficult to pass urine. The pain when
passing urine may be due to an inflamed prostate or urinary
tract infection. You may also have to pass urine more often.
- For about 92 out of 100 men this does not happen or is
only temporary.
- It will be a permanent problem for about 8 men out of 100
receiving external beam radiation, and possibly more with
internal seed radiation.
- Loose bowel movements (diarrhea), pain, or bleeding from
the rectum:
For more than 90 men out of 100 this is temporary or does
not happen.
- For both types of radiation, this is permanent for about
8 men out of 100.
- Problems having and keeping an erection (impotence):
Just as with surgery, you may have trouble having and keeping
erections. This may affect your feelings about sex and about
yourself. But it is possible to have sexual pleasure even without
an erection or an ejaculation (dry orgasm).
- For both types of radiation, about 45 men out of 100 have
permanent impotence. This means that 55 men out of 100
will have their original level of sexual ability.
Your doctor can help you treat the impotence with:
- Medicine that helps with erections.
- Vacuum device.
- Injections into your penis.
- Surgical implant.
After radiation, most men will feel relieved, but some may also feel
sadness. If your sad feelings are just too strong, ask your doctor
to suggest help.
To see pictures of how radiation works,
please see page 5.
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