Side Effects of Prostate Treatment

Improvements in treatment over the years have significantly reduced the severity of side effects of prostate cancer treatments. It is still important to understand how and why these side effects occur, and to how to minimize how they will affect daily life. There are six major categories of side effects that are normally associated with prostate cancer treatments: urinary dysfunction, bowel dysfunction, erectile dysfunction, loss of fertility, effects due to the loss of testosterone, and side effects of chemotherapy. Depending on the treatment strategy pursued some or all of these side effects might be present. It's also important to realize that not all these symptoms are normal, and that some require immediate care.

Urinary Dysfunction encompasses both urinary incontinence, which can range from some leaking to complete loss of bladder control, and irritative voiding symptoms, including increased urinary frequency, increased urinary urgency, and pain upon urination. For men undergoing prostatectomy, incontinence is the main urinary side effect. Bowel Dysfunction includes diarrhea, rectal bleeding, and the inability to control bowel movements. All of these side effects are more common following external beam radiotherapy. During prostatectomy, damage to the rectum is unusually rare, and the bowel changes noticed in the first few weeks following surgery are likely the result of the body adjusting to the increased abdominal space due to the loss of the prostate. Radiation therapy can cause significant damage to the rectum, resulting in some or all of the symptoms listed above.

Erectile Dysfunction is experienced by nearly all men for the first few months after treatment. The reason for this is simple: the nerves and blood vessels that control the physical aspect of an erection are incredibly delicate, and any trauma to the area will unfortunately result in changes to the natural order. Fertility is always a problem after prostate cancer treatment. It is nearly impossible for a man to retain his ability to father children through sexual intercourse after the initial treatment. The loss of semen following surgery makes ejaculation impossible, so the sperm cannot physically leave the body to reach the woman's egg for fertilization.

Hormone Therapy side effects: Testosterone is the primary male hormone. Side effects of testosterone loss is lengthy and includes hot flashes, decreased sexual desire, fatigue, erectile dysfunction, osteoporosis, weight gain, decreased muscle mass, anemia, and memory loss. Chemotherapy drugs available today work in a slightly different fashion, and it's hard to predict what sorts of side effects any one person will experience. Check with your doctor for reported side effects for your treatment.

Screening Tests for Prostate

Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of death in men after lung cancer, and the most common cancer in men. Fortunately, since most prostate cancer is slow growing, only 30 percent of men diagnosed with prostate cancer will die from it. So far, research has not confirmed that early detection of prostate cancer leads to treatment that will prolong life. Testing is needed to screen for prostate cancer to improve treatment.

There are two methods used to screen for prostate cancer in men. First there is a blood test used to measure PSA (prostate specific antigen), a protein produced by the prostate gland. PSA levels tend to rise when prostate cancer is present. Unfortunately, the test has both high false positives and high false negatives making results questionable. The test also cannot distinguish if the prostate cancer is slow growing and unlikely to cause symptoms, or a highly aggressive form. The other important screening test is the digital rectal exam (DRE), where a doctor inserts a gloved finger into the rectum to feel for lumps or irregularity of the prostate. The DRE has an 85 percent false positive rate, where abnormalities felt but cancer is not present. If either the PSA or DRE is abnormal, further evaluation is warranted. A prostate biopsy may need to be performed, using a needle, which is inserted into the prostate through the rectum. Biopsy is the only truly effective test that can prove if cancer cells are present.

Prostate cancer can be treated by a variety of means. The treatment decision must be based on the appearance and spread of the cancer, general health condition, one's symptoms, and how each individual weighs the potential risks of the different therapies offered. No therapy has yet proven to extend life, although some treatments may reduce symptoms making life much more bearable. Options include watchful waiting, radiation therapy, prostatectomy, and hormone therapy. Each option has potential and serious side effects.

PSA screening should be optional for men at average risk of contracting prostate cancer. Advice varies for when PSA are beneficial, and when PSA screening are recommended. The American Cancer Society and American Urological Association both recommend offering PSA screening to men ages 50 to 70 at average risk, with appropriate counseling. African American men and men with family members who have developed prostate cancer before age 70 are at much higher risk. These men should discuss prostate-cancer screening with their doctors.