Side effects of radiatipn therapy. EBRT prostate cancer

User

Posted 18 Feb 2019 at 22:30

Looking to share side effects of radiation therapy EBRT for prostate cancer...2 years out from therapy.

Present psa is .12 after a bump to 2.4

User

Posted 18 Feb 2019 at 23:29

I'd certainly be interested in knowing your experiences. I'm currently undergoing RT; 5 fractions out of 32 now completed.

Chris

User

Posted 19 Feb 2019 at 00:05

Did 45 sessions

Sessions want well

Had difficulty keeping my bladder full for sessions (wet myself once during session) embarrassing but staff were great about it.

Had a difficult time with urination and bowel movements happening at the same time whether standing or sitting...lasted a week or so then settled down.

Started taking tamulsafen to help keep bladder problems under control ...started with 1 per day then 2 per day...still at that level...could easily maintain on 1 per day but worried about incomplete emptying

Bowel problems have lessened but still have to use dietary measures to keep regular as normal contractions are still problematic

Got scared once because psa levels bounced higher on third follow-up blood test...was reassured that that was common...has returned to a lower level after 4th test.

Had three in a row blood clots in urine a month ago...then none since. Unknown reason.

Had several episodes of split stream urine over the 2 years...why?? Who knows.

Sexual functioning has decreased some since therapy...erections are functional but...oh well, I am 77 yrs old so...

User

Posted 19 Feb 2019 at 06:46

How long after treatment was the bounce?

User

Posted 19 Feb 2019 at 07:50

Are you still on HT

Barry

User

Posted 19 Feb 2019 at 16:18

18 months

User

Posted 19 Feb 2019 at 16:20

Finished HORMONE therapy before starting radiation

User

Posted 22 Feb 2019 at 20:50

I’m continuing with HT whilst having radiotherapy, indeed had HT injection this morning & radiotherapy session this afternoon

User

Posted 22 Feb 2019 at 20:56

Originally Posted by: Online Community Member

I’m continuing with HT whilst having radiotherapy, indeed had HT injection this morning & radiotherapy session this afternoon

That's what seems to be the normal practice. I'm due to be on HT for two years in total: 6 months prior to RT and then 18 months further.

I'm now 2 weeks into my RT (due to have 32 fractions in total).

Chris

User

Posted 27 Feb 2019 at 23:02

HI , had Radical prostatecamy near 3 months ago with a gleason 3+4 Psa 48

Non nerve sparing as it spread to seminal vessels and to lymph, so they removed parts of lymphs. Had PSa 10 weeks after surgery which showed 0.06 which i thought was low but they said should be 0

Because of pathology report showing cancer was worse , 4+3 and positive margin. They suggest we fo raditherapy and hormone , but want to wait 6 weeks to see if Psa goes down etc

Please can anyone tell me the side effects of radiothrapy and hormone Therapy, even though i know what they are i still havent met anyone that has had the radiotherapy and hormone therapy AFTER surgery.

They told me my incontinence will be as it is before i have the RT and HT and since i have had Non nerve sparing then it wont effect my erectile dysfunction neither. Also i read about spasms, rectile bleeding and cramps, are these if any permanent or just in the early days after treatment. And does the HT lose your sex drive altogether or is there hope there. Sorry for too many questions :)

User

Posted 27 Feb 2019 at 23:21

Ridiculous to suggest that you need RT/HT because of a PSA of 0.06 so there must be a bit more to it than that - it is more likely to be because of the lymph node involvement and high volume of cancer found. Did your pathology show positive margins?

There are loads of threads on here about radiotherapy and HT after surgery, it is quite common - despite men being sold the idea that surgery can eradicate the cancer it seems that for a rather significant number it doesn’t.

Edited by member 28 Feb 2019 at 00:18 | Reason: Not specified

"Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards." Soren Kierkegaard

User

Posted 27 Feb 2019 at 23:30

HI Yes they said it showed positive margin and alot of cancer on the left side and invaded lymph, hence why they predict it cd return and question is as always do we treat it based on the pathology report or wait to see a rise. Anyway they are wanting to wait till april 17 to see psa. Funny thing is that 2 different hospitals told me the cancer was only bulging and hadnt penetratred the wall. I did wait a few months b4 having the surgery but doubt it grow that quick, oh well i guess it cant always bee seen clealy as to its status. Thanks

User

Posted 28 Feb 2019 at 00:25

Sorry - I realised too late that you had already said positive margins were found. Seems a no brainer then to go for the adjuvant therapy - the main problem tends to be for men who have not regained continence. Loss of libido is almost always a side effect although we have had a couple of members in the past who were not affected at all.

Generally, the side effects of RT emerge later in the treatment or a number of years afterwards. In our house, there weren't really any side effects at all at the time, and it is only now 7 years later that he is finding it a little more difficult to sustain an erection.

If it makes you feel any better, our local hospital has been part of a trial that offered all men adjuvant RT/HT following surgery regardless of pathology - the results so far have been very positive.

"Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards." Soren Kierkegaard

User

Posted 28 Feb 2019 at 22:31

Thanks Lyn, Your information has made me feel alot better. Was there any other side effects and any long term apart from the incontinence and erections situation. I mean ive read theres cd be bleeding, stomach spasms cramps etc and was weight gain a real problem. Thanks again

User

Posted 28 Feb 2019 at 22:34

Hi Jayrob, how are you now? how were the side effects of radiotherapy and hormone treatment whilst you were on it and what about afterwards short to longterm? How are your Psa readings.

Regards Herc

User

Posted 28 Feb 2019 at 22:52

Originally Posted by: Online Community Member

No. As I said, John had no side effects at all from the radiotherapy apart from needing a nap some afternoons towards the end. He worked full time throughout and continued playing rugby; he also carried on going to the gym most days.

Weight gain is usually a side effect of the hormones rather than the radiotherapy but it can be minimised if you are already fit and stay active throughout.

"Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards." Soren Kierkegaard

User

Posted 28 Feb 2019 at 23:10

Thanks. God bless you and your family Lyn

User

Posted 01 Mar 2019 at 08:25

Herc, everyone reacts differently to HT, so it's impossible to say what side effects any particular person will experience. I've been fortunate - I've been on HT since last August and although for the first month or so I felt very tired and fuzzy-headed, all that's now worn off and the only side effects I'm left with are the expected loss of libido.

I'm undergoing RT at the moment. I'm just under halfway through my treatment (3 weeks in) and thus far the only side effect has been difficulty urinating, which a prescription of a drug called Tamsulosin soon sorted out.

Hope that's of some help,

Chris

User

Posted 01 Mar 2019 at 12:39

Hi thanks chris'. Is the urinating issue supposed to be ongoing or did they say anything re that. Thanks

User

Posted 01 Mar 2019 at 14:44

It's an extremely common side-effect of RT. Basically being bombarded with radiation makes the prostate swell up, and hence restricts the flow of urine, similar to what many men experience following a prostate biopsy. I am told that the effects should gradually subside once treatment is complete, but the Tamsulosin has sorted out the problem.

Chris

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