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• About Prostate Cancer
• Anatomy of the Prostate Gland
• Chemotherapy For Prostate Cancer
• For Family Members Coping With Prostate Cancer
• Herbal Remedies: Prostate Cancer
• Prostate Cancer Angiogenesis Inhibitors
• Prostate Cancer Clinical Trials
• Prostate Cancer Diagnostic and Evaluation Procedures
• Prostate Cancer Expectant Therapy
• Prostate Cancer Grading
• Prostate Cancer in African-American Men
• Prostate Cancer Psychosocial Factors
• Prostate Cancer Risk Factors
• Prostate Cancer Staging
• Prostate Cancer Statistics
• Prostate Cancer Surgery
• Prostate Cancer Symptoms
• Prostate Health Glossary
• Radiation Therapy for Prostate Cancer

What is radiation therapy?

Radiation therapy uses high-energy rays to kill or shrink cancer cells, and to decrease their ability to divide. Radiation is often used to treat prostate cancer that is still confined to the prostate gland, or has spread only to nearby tissue. If the disease is advanced, radiation may be used to reduce the size of the tumor and to provide relief from symptoms.

What are the types of radiation therapy?

There are generally two types of radiation therapy:

• external radiation (external beam therapy) - a treatment that precisely sends high levels of radiation directly to the cancer cells. The machine is controlled by the radiation therapist. Since radiation is used to kill cancer cells, special shields may be used to protect the tissue surrounding the treatment area. Radiation treatments are painless and usually last a few minutes. This type of radiation therapy may be given daily for several weeks.
• internal radiation (implant therapy) - a procedure that uses small, radioactive seeds (each about the size of a grain of rice) that are implanted directly into the cancerous prostate tumor. The implanted seeds may be left in permanently or may be only temporary. The seeds emit small amounts of radiation for a period of weeks or months.

What are side effects of radiation therapy?

As each person's individual medical profile and diagnosis is different, so is his/her reaction to treatment. Side effects may be severe, mild, or absent. Be sure to discuss with your cancer care team any/all possible side effects of treatment before the treatment begins.

Possible side effects of external beam radiation therapy for prostate cancer may include the following:

• diarrhea (with or without blood in the stool) and colitis
• problems associated with urination
• a degree of impotence (inability to achieve or maintain an erection), which may occur within two years of radiation therapy
• fatigue, especially during the later weeks of treatment

Possible side effects of internal radiation therapy for prostate cancer may include the following:

• slight bleeding soon after the seeds are placed
• occasional loss of the seeds when urinating
• irritation of the rectum

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Evolution of Robotic Radical Prostatectomy

Dr. Ketan Badani and colleagues' article on the "Evolution of Robotic Radical Prostatectomy, an Assessment After 2766 Procedures," was published in the November 1, 2007 issue of Cancer, a journal of the American Cancer Society.

Related Specialties more

Urologic Cancers
Hormone Therapy and Chemotherapy for Prostate Cancer
Cryotherapy Treatment (Ablation) for Prostate Cancer
Radiation Therapy for Prostate Cancer
Prostate Cancer Surgery
Prostate Cancer Prevention
Screening and Diagnosis for Prostate Cancer
Risk Factors and Warning Signs of Prostate Cancer
Prostate Cancer
Cryotherapy Treatment (Ablation)
Laparoscopic Surgery
Robotic Prostatectomy for Prostate Cancer
About Minimally Invasive Robotic Surgery