Looking for went through radiation treatments. Good or Bad

danknj
danknj Member Posts: 19
in Prostate Cancer #1

I have to go through radiation treatments. Looking for people who went through it. What to expect. The good the bad and the ugly.

Comments

  • Trew
    Trew Member Posts: 932 Member
    #2
    Lots of scarring in the Uthrea.

    Ended up having surgery to remove scar tissue and had  to do amost a year of cathing 3x a day and gradually down to a few times a week to me sure the scarring didn't return.

     

    I have known guys that may have had the ability to have an erection before radiation but not after radiation.  some have bowel problems, diaherra at the end of treatment is common for many men, and a burning with urination.   Many men may feel tired for awhile after treatment ends.  I had many of the things I am listing.  just my experience and comparing notes with other men who also had radiation.  Radiation is serious stuff.  If you are getting readiation consider yourself a serious PCa patient. 

    The  day I had my cath pulled after surgery the doc got the pathology report while I was in the examination room learning I had a leaking problem.  Before I could get a handle on that the doc hung up the phone and told me very matter of factly, "Its as I expected, you will need radiation or you will die."  Just like that.  My poor wife almost had her legs give up under her.

    Yep, radiation is for serious patients.  I wish you well. 

    Oh yes, I have talked a few patients who had little or no problems with radiation.  but no one knows how any patient will react to radiaiton.  Consider it an adventure. 

    Again, I wish you the very best.

     

     

  • Swingshiftworker
    Swingshiftworker Member Posts: 1,017 Member
    #3
    Good and Bad

    The older forms of radiation lacked focus and caused a lot of collateral tissue damage to the urethrra, bladder and rectum.  Even current methods of radiation, like IMRT or BT can cause this as well if not planned or delivered properly, as  has been documented by men here.

    However, if you have early stage PCa -- Gleason 6/7 and PSA around 10 -- you would be eligible for CyberKnife radiation treatment which dramatically reduces the risks of such side effects because it can deliver radiation in 3 dimensions (360 degrees) and w/sub mm accuracy with the ability to also control for body and organ movement during treatment.

    I and several other men here have received CK treatment with excellent results -- no ED, incontinence or any other serious side effects -- and I will be happy to provide you w/additional information if you like.

    Good luck!

  • BLUEpac6
    BLUEpac6 Member Posts: 43
    #4
    radiation

    To make a long story shor my prostrate cancer started out with 110 psa gleasn score 9 and agressive carcinoma.Aug.2009 had radical surgery and about a year psa began rising and had to have salvage radiation.Ihad no side effacts from the radiatin what soever.Ihad 35 treatments and could not tell Iwas ever having any radiation at all.My psa for last year has all been less than .01.Had another psa Feb.20 2013 and had droped even further to .0003.

  • califvader
    califvader Member Posts: 108
    #5
    so far so good

    i had 36 treatments, 10 wks, of IMRT treatment.  towards the end your rectum gets a little sore.  other than that is was ok.  it's been two years since my treatment and it was a success.

  • danknj
    danknj Member Posts: 19
    #6
    califvader said:

    so far so good

    i had 36 treatments, 10 wks, of IMRT treatment.  towards the end your rectum gets a little sore.  other than that is was ok.  it's been two years since my treatment and it was a success.

    Thank guys

    Thank guys

  • Retired 12
    Retired 12 Member Posts: 11
    #7
    Radiation IMRT 32 Treatments

    I was given 32/imrt treatments in 2008 and I also experienced alot of the problems most noted in the discussion. On treatment 29 I quit urinating do to swelling. Very painful and Hytrin was used to relieve issue. About a year after completion I developed a rectal bleed and was later determined to be radiation proticits and Anucort suppositiores was prescribed with no success and was change to Canasa 1000 mg suppositories for a short period of time and a major diet change to include alot of fiber and supplements. Constipation is a no no and very painful. Since the adjustments everything has been okay. I later developed some constritures and had them remove only to bladder cancer. All is well as of this posting.

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