Considering postponing my remaining prostate radiation treatments

Grand
Grand Member Posts: 2 Member
in Prostate Cancer #1

Hello! This is my first post. I was diagnosed with prostate cancer and had a slight urinary problem ( not an infection) before I started my first treatment. My treatment plan calls for 44 days of radiation therapy. After only two treatments, I began to experience some pretty bad burning every time I urinate ( 8 on a scale of 1-10 ). My urologist checked for infection, recommended AZO, doubled my Flomax, and gave me some intermittent catheters to try and help empty my bladder. The AZO and Flomax helped considerably, but I hated the catheters and quit after two tries. Long story short, I have had 11 treatments so far and the burning sensation when urinating is still just as bad. I could try to just "gut it out" but I have so many treatments left that I fear I may be doing a lot of harm to my bladder. Anyone else out there go through a similar situation? Is it possible to postpone treatments, get this urinary problem fixed, and then start back up? Thanks!

Comments

  • Old Salt
    Old Salt Member Posts: 1,530 Member
    #2

    Sorry to read that.

    Do ask your radiation oncologist for advice. They often have a protocol to minimize bladder issues.

  • Clevelandguy
    Clevelandguy Member Posts: 1,206 Member
    #3

    Hi,

    It could be the external beam radiation has irritated your urethra, as Old Salt says talk to your Urologist and Oncologist to find out what can be done. If you only have pain when you urinate it could be your acidic urine is causing the pain as it passes over the irritation in your urethra. Hopefully your bladder is not impacted, a second opinion from a different set of doctors/hospital network might not be a bad idea if you are not satisfied with your current level of care. Got to be very uncomfortable I would think.

    Dave 3+4

  • Marlon
    Marlon Member Posts: 127 Member
    #4

    I guess my question would be, if it's possible to re-start once you've stopped, and maybe the irritation would just come back.

    Strange that the docs have no answer as to what is going on. I thought the radiation targeting was precise enough to avoid the bladder. Maybe proton beam is an option?

  • Clevelandguy
    Clevelandguy Member Posts: 1,206 Member
    #5
    https://csn.cancer.org/discussion/comment/1718412#Comment_1718412

    Great idea on the Proton therapy👍

    Dave 3+4

  • centralPA
    centralPA Member Posts: 341 Member
    #6

    From reading, it seems that normally the effects of radiation start to show up after more than just two treatments with IMRT. I wonder how much this might be a coincidence of timing.

    I think suspend, get this resolved, and maybe retry.

    Sorry to hear about your trials, Grand.

  • Grand
    Grand Member Posts: 2 Member
    #7

    Thank you all for your much appreciated feedback. My urologist is recommending a cystocopy to look into any issues I may have had going into this radiation therapy. Hope there is something they can do to at least reduce the burning side affects and make this journey a little easier. Will keep you posted. Thanks again!

  • Old Salt
    Old Salt Member Posts: 1,530 Member
    #8

    That sounds like a good approach.

    I hope this will help you on your prostate cancer journey.

  • Steve1961
    Steve1961 Member Posts: 625 Member
    #9

    from what I was told once you start radiation I could not miss any days. It interferes with how the radiation kills to cancer or something to that nature sounds like to me you aren’t getting the right type of care. I would definitely seek out another opinion really really tough imperative that you keep these radiation treatments. It’s not like you did only t wo You’ve already done 11

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