Side Effects Of External Beam Radiation Treatment For Prostate Cancer

External beam radiation for prostate cancer kills cancer cells by destroying the genetic material that controls how cells grow and divide.

Side effects of external beam radiation treatment for prostate cancer. Doctors will often use external radiation therapy for prostate cancer patients who want to avoid the risks of surgery. As the first treatment for cancer that is still just in the prostate gland and is low grade cure rates for men with these types of cancers are about the same as those for men treated with radical prostatectomy. Other side effects depend on the part of the body that is being treated. External beam radiation therapy with androgen deprivation therapy in which radiation is paired with medications to lower levels of male hormones which can stimulate prostate cancer growth.

External radiation or external beam radiation is the most common type of radiation therapy used for cancer treatment. The men who received surgery saw an immediate steep drop off in their erectile function compared with men who received other types of treatment. Radiation therapy uses high energy rays or particles to kill cancer cells. Webmd explains the use of radiation therapy for prostate cancer including internal and external radiation therapy how radiation therapy is performed side effects risks and more.

Radiation therapy has side effects because it not only kills or slows the growth of cancer cells it can also affect nearby healthy cells. The side effects of external beam radiation therapy tend to be less severe than the side effects of other prostate cancer treatments. Depending on the stage of the prostate cancer and other factors radiation therapy might be used. Learn more about possible side effects.

Below is a list of possible short term side effects. Radiation therapy has long been a staple of treatment for many types of cancers. Healthy cells in the beam s path also are affected by external beam radiation therapy resulting in side effects. Radiation technology allows the very careful delivery of external beam radiation therapy.

Many people who get radiation therapy experience fatigue. Short term side effects are ones that start during or shortly after your radiation treatment. Patients who receive any type of radiation therapy external beam or brachytherapy to treat their prostate cancer can have side effects. A machine is used to aim high energy rays or beams from outside the body into the tumor.

When it comes to prostate cancer there are two kinds of radiation treatment.