Seed Implant - radiation damage

rba

I am interested if any other patients who have had seed implants have had damage to urinary tract and colon due to radiation burn.

Unknown

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nutt

Firstly, are you sure the problems you are having are from the seeds?

Secondly, one of the reasons for seed implants were to PUT the seeds where the cancer is and avoid external beam radiation that even with the newest advances has a chance of burning other tissue as it goes in or past the cancerous area.

I image a lot has to do with the amount of dousage you received which has to do with the size of your prostate and the cancer.

I had hormone therapy prior to seed implant. This greatly reduced the size of the prostate and thus, the amount of radiation needed. Did your doctor discuss this?

Having hormone therapy prior to seed implant also, according to my doctors made the cancer cells more acceptable to the radiation (killed them off easier) and starved the cancer cells of the food (male hormones) they crave.

Even with the new "computerized external beam radiation" which follows a 3-D map of your prostate, I personally believe there is a certain amount of internal burning?

I also believe that having it surgically removed without the followup of radiation at the same time runs the risk of that one cancer cell being loosed or cut loose during surgery! Most men only think the doctor goes in and removes a tinker toy building block without any chance of causing cancer cells being left as they "cut", "cauterize" or whatever else it takes.

The good news is that radiation burning normally cures itself. The only concern I would have is the amount of scar tissue left and where?

Consult with you doctors -- notice I used the word doctors. To many times I read where they only had one doctors opinion -- our life is to valuable to trust in one medical college graduate.

Good luck and hang in there. Time will do many thngs.

Joe

duganzoe

nerve damage from not using seed implant

Radiation treatment (43) damaged my nerves, paralyzed me and went through 3 weeks of physical therapy.  I now can walk, barely, with a cane but at times, my left leg gives out.  I have lost control of my bowels.