Side effects of Brachytherapy for Prostate Cancer
Brachytherapy (also known as seed implantation or interstitial radiation therapy) makes use of small radioactive pellets, or “seeds,” every approximately the scale of a grain of rice. These pellets are located directly into your prostate. Brachytherapy alone is usually used simplest in men with early-stage prostate cancer this is particularly slow-developing (low-grade). Brachytherapy combined with external radiation is occasionally an option for guys who have a higher risk of cancer developing outside the prostate.
The use of brachytherapy is likewise restricted by a few different factors. For men who've had a transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) or for those who already have urinary issues, the risk of urinary side effects can be better. Brachytherapy may not work as properly in men with large prostate glands as it might not be feasible to place the seeds into all of the correct locations. One manner to get around this may be to get some months of hormone therapy ahead to reduce the prostate.
There are some side effects of brachytherapy for prostate cancer:
- Radiation precautions: If you get permanent (LDR) brachytherapy, the seeds will deliver off small quantities of radiation for numerous weeks or months. Even though the radiation doesn’t travel far, your physician might also additionally endorse you to stay far from pregnant women and small youngsters at some point of this time. If you intend on traveling, you would possibly need to get a physician’s word concerning your treatment, as low levels of radiation can occasionally be picked up by detection structures at airports.
- Bowel issues: Brachytherapy can occasionally worsen the rectum and cause a condition known as radiation proctitis.
- Urinary issues: Severe urinary incontinence (trouble controlling urine) isn't always a common aspect effect. But a few men have problems with frequent urination or different symptoms because of inflammation of the urethra, the tube that drains urine from the bladder. This has a tendency to be worse in the weeks after treatment and gets better over time.
- Erection issues: Some research has determined rates of erection problems to decrease after brachytherapy, however, different research has determined that the rates had been no extraordinary than with external beam radiation or surgery.
