Radiation Therapy Side Effects for Prostate Cancer Patients

[@ScottA2345]

Back in 1991, at the age of 63, my father was diagnosed with prostate cancer and decided to go with the radiation option. He was fine for 13 years. Then the cancer came back. It had not metastasized, nevertheless, his doctor recommended an older radiation seeding procedure on the belief that it had produced good outcomes in situations like my father's. My father was now 76 and had the recommended procedure. Worst mistake. The radiation destroyed his insides. His bowels stopped working and he had to have a colostomy. The radiation destroyed his bladder - a doctor told us that his bladder was now like tissue paper. He had to have tubes placed into his back into the kidneys to bypass the bladder altogether. It was a horrible year - with my father in the hospital for most of it. A nurse later told me that from what she had seen over the years, an elderly person should never be radiated because of the swift damage it causes - just as it did to my father. He died in 2006 at the age of 77. I know treatments have advanced since then, but I am not sure whether - in an elderly person like my father - at the age of 76 - it changes the kind of tissue damage radiation can do.

[@olympicjeff6504]

I just finished my 44th radiation treatment. With hormone treatment. It is very difficult to accept that I am very weak and etc. I'm glad to find this. Thank you ⭐🙏

[@cosmicXtropics]

@@olympicjeff6504 how are you holding up today sir, I hope you are in better health than you once were. Do you feel more relieved after the treatment?

[@larryrhindress2972]

I want Dr. Michael Steinberg to be my Dr. when I start my radiation treatment. What a fine Dr. he is!!! Nova Scotia loves good doctors!!!

[@miltonsoto5043]

I have developed prostate cancer at age 75 . It's really scary to think you could lose your manhood. I will start radiation in two weeks. I pray it won't change me emotionally or physically , but listening to all these doctors and patients l can see the risks and fears every one goes through when having either one of such risky procedures . I pray 🙏 my God will have mercy on me . I also pray 🙏 for men going through this procedures .

[@jimlong5983]

Hello Milton. I went through radical prostate surgery, followed by 40 treatments of radiation at 65 years old. I'm 74 now. It's been a difficult road, but with support of my wife I have endured through every issue. Yes, I still miss the intimacy, but that is not saying you will suffer the same problems. Stay positive!

[@miltonsoto5043]

@@jimlong5983 Hello Jim. Sorry to hear of all the things you've gone through . I hope things will turn out good for you. Your wife is a hero , standing there with you through all your trials. I hope I'm strong and able to tolerate whatever comes my way. my faith in God will surely help me in this very dangerous episode of my life . I will keep you in my prayers .

[@DavidHalChester]

This video is 9 years old. It would be great to hear this same doctor do an updated one (or perhaps there is?).

[@ThePCRI]

We have a lecture and Q&A with Dr. Steinberg from 2021, here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/epnbhKqEaJJooNk We also have this more recent lecture and Q&A from Dr. Amar Kishan in 2022: kzbin.info/www/bejne/fHKwZWyXq91qn9E

[@DavidHalChester]

@@ThePCRI Thank you very much!

[@Mobstersdaught]

Im in Sydney Australia my dad has to start radiation therapy next week this has helped me understand alot thankyou so vsry much

[@miltonsoto5043]

Kev , could you give us an update on your father's condition . Is he doing well a year after radiation .

[@Mobstersdaught]

@@miltonsoto5043 hello sir yes he is doing excellent thankyou very much for your concern bless yiu

[@marinabereza1523]

My husband refused to do 44 radiation treatments. I did not know he has such a strong will power. He is juicing and following Chris Wark and Max Gerson diet with daily coffee enemas. His PSA in 2 months went down from 21 to 14.

[@miltonsoto5043]

Marina , how did the doctor feel about his refusal to receive radiation treatment ? And how old is your husband. I'm about to start radiation in about 15 days and am scared of the after effects of radiation . I'm 75 years old and somewhat skeptical . ???

[@zoeymckeown3194]

smart man.

[@Xxxxxx19-p1c]

Bad idea. Not everyone and their cancer is the same. Refusing radiation is not necessarily wise.

[@jimlong5983]

7 years after receiving radiation, after radical prostatectomy, I've developed "radiation Cystitis ". That should have been mentioned here because it is a devastating condition that has made my struggle even more difficult.

[@avinashpandey8302]

U can use pentosan polysulfate cap 100mg thrice a day empty stomach for 6months.

[@RH-xd3nx]

I guess you had a recurrence after RP, it seems like quite a bit of fellas have a recurrence because it's microbial and end up getting salvage radiation anyway....what a tough decision

[@doowopbabyt]

@Jim Long are your symptoms of radiation cystitis only urinary? Do you have proctitis also? Gary R

[@miltonsoto5043]

Jim l hope you're doing better now. Please keep letting us know how you feel lately .🙏🙏🙏

[@jimlong5983]

Update on my situation. 6 weeks ago, the surgeon conducted an outpatient procedure to remove some of the scar tissue at the entrance of my bladder. I am scheduled for another visit to scope the urethra and bladder. If nothing looks worse, I will undergo urinary implant consisting of a 3 part device that will function as an artificial sphincter at the bladder entrance. In the meantime, I have had to resort to a clamp. Thank you for all those who offered input!

[@artmaltman]

Excellent explanation. Thank you.

[@daisuke6072]

excellent succinct account. If I get to the stage of needing treatment the information I've researched now inclines me much more towards the RT route. I believe gel is now available to buffer against rectal damage also.

[@ThePCRI]

Yes, that is called "SpaceOAR." If you ever have any questions, feel free to reach out to our helpline at pcri.org/helpline.

[@kristinayelisey6237]

What can you do if you have Urethritis and burning and irritation of urethra? Is there something to solve this issue?

[@mariecarty2422]

Thank you so much you explained so perfectly.

[@jamesgournay3999]

I'm 70 years old, I've had two heart bypass surgeries and I'm diabetic. My PSA is 3.5 with a Gleason score of 8. My urologist says radiation treatments are the best advisable thing to do. Any comments would be appreciated.

[@ThePCRI]

Hi Mr. Gournay, thank you for your comment and for reaching out to PCRI. We have helpline facilitators that can help answer your questions. Please email us at [e-mail] or call us at [phone] to provide us with your phone number so our helpline facilitator can discuss your question with you.

[@MrGeorgewf]

iRon Tyson Is he still alive?

[@jerodx100]

Recently I finished 25 sessions and then had a brachytherapy. I will have to have a cat scan done in 4 weeks to see what the situation is. I had 66 seeds I planted.

[@paradispara]

@iRon Tyson how is your father now?

[@paradispara]

James how are you?

[@kathyann7153]

Thank you very much this was very helpful

[@disappointedman6234]

The question is why continue doing it if you know the side effects. Why don't come with new and better ideas to treat people. Wish I never did any and wait for dying days than to suffer as a result

[@surpenc]

I'm 62 tested 6.6 had biopsy one of 22 spores taken showed a 4+4 8 gleeson. Decided monitoring psa test every 3 months my first test showed 8.2 psa consultant said have another test in Nov if levels continue rising have chat abt what way gonna proceed. I haven't had any symptoms apart for 6 months and that was just some leakage after urinating.

[@debraarnold3703]

After 3 decades, the best they got is 40-45 days of Monday through Friday radiation, for persistent biochemical reoccurrence PSA which has significantly reduced my dea husband's strength, quality of life that has had a direct impact on his dignity. Expecting complications and planning to stay closer to the hospital that is providing the treatment is probably warranted. Half of all patients become impotent, weaker and the radiation increases the aging process. This guy says it here. My husband never touched a cigarette, was healthy and vibrant following his RP with clean margins, and had now after 5 years had rising PSA and has been rushed into this 46 treatment radiation protocol that is 3 decades old. I'm watching him age years in 3 weeks.

[@boohdan]

Hello Dr. Steinburg I'm a 57 y.o. male that was just diagnosed today with 6cm wide retro peritoneal mass behind right renal vein. I am without insurance. Biopsy happens after Christmas. I'm very worried and want to consider alternative choices should this be malignant. My state is out of touch and want to move somewhere where someone can help me. Any feedback would be appreciated. Thanks so much

[@Zimba9810]

eat apricot kernels it has b-17 vitamin will kill all cancers research it dont do chemo, radiation or surgery they dont work.

[@johntechwriter]

B. Jostes You have my sympathy. Have you considered moving to a civilized country? Another option: Get some counseling from The Cancer Society or other non-profit cancer resource.

[@ThePCRI]

Hi Mr. Jostes, thank you for your comment and for reaching out to PCRI, we apologize for the delay in our reply! We have helpline facilitators that can help answer your questions. Please email us at [e-mail] or call us at [phone] to provide us with your phone number so our helpline facilitator can discuss your question with you.

[@janethomas78]

DONT DO ANY BIOPSY--NOT NECESSARY!

[@ScottA2345]

Move to Massachusetts.

[@NJItalianGal747]

my hubby just got diagnosed w/stage 1 and we don't kno what to do operation watching it and or radiation I'm scared

[@johntechwriter]

R McGee If the malignancy is confined to the gland, you have a wealth of options and all have good outcomes. I was in the same situation and went with radiation because its side effects tend to be less severe than those from surgery. But whichever option you chose, be sure your specialist who will be carrying out the treatment has LOTS of experience and an excellent track record. Good luck!

[@ThePCRI]

Hi Mrs. McGee, thank you for your comment and for reaching out to PCRI, we apologize for the delay in our reply. We have helpline facilitators that can help answer your questions. Please email us at [e-mail] or call us at [phone] to provide us with your phone number so our helpline facilitator can discuss your question with you.

[@johntechwriter]

iRon Tyson Sorry, I am not qualified to make distinctions or recommendations. You'll find plenty of reputable sources on the web.

[@jerodx100]

Rosy McGee go see a urologist that does a Mir BEFORE having a biopsy of the prostate. The biopsy is slightly uncomfortable, the radiation does not hurt, implanting markers also is slightly uncomfortable and the brachytherapy you are put asleep and you are in a little pain. I had all of this done but none of them is as painful as knee replacements which I had. Having the Mir done helps spot the location of the cancer and not having it done before the biopsy is like going on a fishing expedition and not knowing if your going to hit the right spots. I realize that I am writing about your husband.

[@charlescoryn9614]

Please look at Proton Radiation which has had very good success without the side effects from ordinary radiation. I had this procedure done at the University of Florida in Jacksonville eleven years ago in 2008, and have had no side effects to date, and my PSA has dropped to near zero. I will post the name of the Australian journal that is an excellent publication full of true stories as soon as I find it.

[@greasemonkeybd]

I wish I had radiation instead of removal of prostate. I was chopped up to have more surgery like the clamp shit.

[@alanhynd7886]

Hi Jeff. I was really 50/50 over surgery but went for radiation. I probably think that was the better option for me. I believe that the outcomes are very similar. Downside for me with the radiotherapy is you are on these testosterone blockers for around year after radiation. The make you chubby and tired, you get a "Manopause", hot sweats, unable to sleep., etc. In contrast, my upstairs neighbour had the surgery over 10 years ago and is adamant he made the right decision. I think the radiation therapy is improving all the time too,

[@greasemonkeybd]

@@alanhynd7886 I have a friend who is 75 who had a higher psa had rad. had no leakage after and no anti test. meds. doing ok now. I am still leaking like a siv. 3 years after. so I will need that clap if I want to be somewhat normal again but my doc said it may stop leaking but it never did. good luck

[@greasemonkeybd]

@@alanhynd7886 BTW my psa was 15.7 and gleason was 5+3 for an 8

[@rajibsarker4424]

nowadays increase in size of prostate can't be considered as prostate cancer

[@ScottA2345]

a simple increase in prostate size has never been considered cancer.

[@Brookside975]

It is interesting that Proton Beam therapy was not mentioned as one of the radiation choices? I have read many patient reviews saying they were glad they chose this treatment. Any comments?

[@jamescalifornia2964]

This video is 6 years old. Was Proton Beam studied back then *?*

[@charlescoryn9614]

Yes, in the U.S. it has been used for better than 10 years, and as I can attest it works quite well. I went to the Prostate Clinic at the University of Florida, Jacksonville, and I've had no side effects from this treatment so far. My story is written up in a Prostate Cancer newsletter the name of which I cannot remember, but it is an Australian journal. My PSA was about 12 or 14 when I began treatments and is now down near 0. Can someone please tell me the name of that Australian medical journal dedicated to prostate cancer?

[@artmaltman]

@@charlescoryn9614 What was your Gleason score when you started proton therapy? What side effects short term and long term? Did you take hormones at the same time? Thank you.

[@charlescoryn9614]

@@artmaltman ....... Hello Art, I hope I can be of some help to you, I've had a very good experience myself, but my failing memory is now the problem. I think my Gleason score was in the 7-8 range and heading upward more and more rapidly when I applied to the Univ of Florida at Jacksonville for the new Proton Radiation program. My father had died of prostate cancer so I started some research. I had a chart that I made starting in 1995 with my PSA at 1.2 and rising slowly over the years until 2006-2007 when it began an upward spike, taking it to above 10, when I began to get more tests done. Following the proton radiation my PSA fell rapidly until it reached a low of 0.09 in 3/14, so it's been 13 years now and no complications. I remember reading Bob Marckini's excellent book "You Can Beat Prostate Cancer", which I'll admit went a long way towards giving me more hope. I've had no problems since. For a number of years I wrote a regular yearly update for another prostate cancer newsletter from overseas somewhere, seems it was Switzerland or Australia, I wish I could remember, I'll keep looking for it. I did not take any hormones or other medications concurrently. And the side effects were minimal I remember, some minor headaches and appetite problems which cleared up shortly after treatment ended were about all. Yes, I very strongly recommend looking into Proton Radiation. Best wishes to you.......

[@dmcarden]

@@charlescoryn9614 did you do full ablation?

[@agordonforme6797]

Thank you.

[@JeevesReturns]

Is nausea a side effect with the radiation?

[@jerodx100]

JeevesReturns I never had any, just going to the bathroom a lot to pee.

[@CM-xz4dn]

I get nausea when I get mine

[@peterb3181]

No nausea at all. Just tiredness.

[@robertkelch5196]

Never had nausea with my 45 radiation treatments. My side effects were fatigue about half way through treatment. The treatments themselves were really no more side effects than a CAT Scan.

[@keithjones7264]

M😅9​@@robertkelch5196

[@JaniceCharters]

This video is 10 years old? Seems a bit out of date?

[@ardriapayneevans4533]

What happens when you have to knots in the sack

[@dang7607]

Radiation therapy also has a couple more very serious side effects: (a) hardening of the cancer cells making them much more lethal when the cancer "return" and metastasizes and (b) chronic inflammation and autoimmune disease. I would recommend surgery rather than radiation.

[@suburban404]

Dan Gal, what is your source for this?

[@fergusfitzgerald977]

So with the greatest respect to the surgeons - I would choose death ! Count Dracula speaking to Professor Van Helsing : "My dear professor there are far more terrible things than death lying in wait for us all !" Mortality is natural - what he outlined above isn't

[@janethomas78]

Men are better off changing their diet and keeping the body alkaline! You don't need anything a doctor will offer you.

[@Jonnie-Falafel]

Any respectable studies backing that up?

[@suburban404]

So all I have to do is change my diet and it will cure my stage 3 carcinoma? Tell me more!!

[@wildsmooth9201]

Such a dumb shit.

[@charlescoryn9614]

I would certainly research this more thoroughly........ Once a cancer escapes prostate containment, as happened to my father, it reeks havoc all over the body. It becomes a very painful way to go........

[@robertkelch5196]

​@@suburban404