HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT CANCER?
by Admin
Posted on 21-03-2023 09:51 PM
Potential side effects of radiopharmaceuticals include weight loss and weakness as a result of radiation exposure, as well as:
fatigue
here are some frequently asked questions people have about radiation therapy for prostate cancer.
You learned about: why prostate cancer treatment can cause erectile dysfunction what can be done about erectile dysfunction how erectile dysfunction may affect your sex life what your partner can expect if you have any questions, please talk to your doctor or health care team. It is important that you understand what is going on with your prostate cancer treatment. This knowledge will help you take better care of yourself and feel more in control. It will also help you manage any side effects you may have from your treatment. Back to top antidepressant: medicine used to prevent or treat clinical depression. Appearance : your body image.
← back to understanding prostate cancer (read time: 3 minutes) this article is not intended to replace professional medical care or advice. If you have any questions or need additional information, please talk with your doctor. If you’ve been diagnosed with prostate cancer, you’re not alone. About 1 in 9 men are diagnosed with prostate cancer. While 1 in 41 men who are diagnosed will die from this disease, the good news is, if detected early, localized prostate cancer is generally associated with a high survival rate. But that doesn’t mean that living with prostate cancer before, during, and after treatment isn’t without its difficulties.
How Cancer Can Affect Erections
Prostate cancer does not directly cause ed, but treatments for prostate cancer can cause a patient to experience this condition. In fact, ed is one of the most common side effects after any kind of prostate cancer treatment. Treatments for prostate cancer can decrease your body’s ability to create testosterone.
Low testosterone can impact your libido and ability to achieve and maintain an erection. Other treatments, such as prostatectomy, can affect the blood vessels and nerves responsible for causing erections. If these structures in your body experience trauma, it can make it more difficult for them to work properly, causing ed.
For some people, undergoing prostate cancer treatment can result in some difficulty getting or maintaining an erection. This erectile dysfunction (ed) occurs because the nerve bundles that help control erections sit behind your prostate. Surgeons make every effort to leave these nerve bundles intact, but the nerves may become damaged. If the tumor has grown into your nerve bundles, your surgeon may remove the nerves entirely. “erectile dysfunction is not uncommon after prostate cancer surgery, but the level of effect is variable in the short and long term,” explains dr. Bole. “your prognosis depends on your erectile function before treatment, your age and whether your nerves were spared.
Dr. Zelefsky: these are patients who have radiation after having had surgery. Even if they still have erections, more frequently than not, their erections are not exactly the way they used to be, although they could still be functional. Additional radiation may increase further their chances or risk of losing erections. About 40 to 50% of patients have ed after salvage radiation. Nowadays, more often than not, salvage radiation after surgery incorporates a six-month course of hormonal therapy. Sildenafil or similar medications may be somewhat less effective among people who had surgery and radiation following this, especially after a patient has had a significant surgery like a prostatectomy with radiation and hormonal therapy to follow.
Radiation aimed at the pelvis can cause erectile dysfunction, though it isn't clear why. Radiation may damage nerves in your pelvic area, block blood flow to your penis or decrease the level of testosterone in your body. Radiation's side effects start slowly about six months to a year after treatment. Whether you experience erectile dysfunction as a result of radiation therapy depends on the amount of radiation you receive and how much of your pelvic area is being treated — a greater level of radiation over a greater amount of your body is more likely to cause sexual side effects.