Because the prostate is close to several vital structures, prostate cancer and its treatments can disrupt normal urinary, bowel, and sexual functioning. This section discusses side effects that might be experienced as well as advice on managing those side effects.
Managing Prostate Cancer Treatment Side Effects
Early management of side effects has been shown to help patients live longer, better lives. It is very important that you communicate with your doctors about the side effects that you are experiencing as you undergo treatment. Ongoing and proactive communication will enable your doctor to...
Urinary Dysfunction
The term urinary dysfunction encompasses both urinary incontinence, which can range from some leaking to complete loss of bladder control, and irritative voiding symptoms (symptoms triggered by the irritation of the tissues), including increased urinary frequency, increased urinary urgency, and pain upon urination. Obstruction of the...
Bowel Dysfunction
Solid waste that is excreted from the body moves slowly down the intestines, and, under normal circumstances, the resultant stool exits through the rectum and then the anus. Damage to the rectum can result in bowel problems, including rectal bleeding, diarrhea, or urgency. In prostatectomy it...
Erectile Dysfunction
Regardless of whether the nerves were spared during surgery or whether the most precise dose planning was used during radiation therapy, erectile dysfunction remains the most common side effect after treatment. This is because the nerves and blood vessels that control the physical aspect of an...
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Infertility
Despite the best efforts of surgeons and radiation oncologists, it is nearly impossible for a man to retain his ability to father children through sexual intercourse after initial treatment. During prostatectomy, both the prostate and the nearby seminal vesicles are removed. The seminal vesicles are two...
Hormone Therapy Side Effects
Testosterone is the primary male hormone, and plays an important role in establishing and maintaining typical male characteristics, such as body hair growth, muscle mass, sexual desire, and erectile function, and contributes to a host of other normal physiologic processes in the body. The primary systemic...
Radiation Side Effects
Because the prostate is close to several vital structures, radiation therapy can disrupt normal urinary, bowel, and sexual functioning. Short-term Complications You may experience some temporary urinary symptoms, such as waking up in the night and needing to urinate, needing to urinate more often during the...
Surgery Side Effects
Because the prostate is close to several vital structures, prostate cancer surgery can disrupt normal urinary, bowel, and sexual functioning. Urinary Incontinence During a prostatectomy, the bladder is pulled downward and connected to the urethra at the point where the prostate once sat. If the sphincter...
Chemotherapy Side Effects
Chemotherapy drugs are powerful and can take a toll on the body. Reactions to drugs can vary widely from patient to patient, so it’s important to pay attention to any side effects that you experience, expected or otherwise. The chemotherapy drug docetaxel is very well tolerated,...
When to Seek Help
Some form of urinary and bowel dysfunction is normal following initial therapy for localized prostate cancer. However, it’s important to know that not all symptoms are normal, and that some require immediate care. Call your doctor right away if you have any of these symptoms. What...
Janet Farrar Worthington
The Long, Wet Road Back to Normal
Incontinence after radical prostatectomy sucks. But for nearly all men, it goes away. For the...
Janet Farrar Worthington
Interview with an Expert: Rehabilitating Your Penis
INTERVIEW WITH AN EXPERT Trinity Bivalacqua, M.D., Ph.D., the R. Christian B. Evensen Professor of...