Radiation therapy is one of the foremost accepted treatment methods for dealing with prostate cancer (along with chemotherapy and surgery). Although radiation therapy is not appropriate for every case of prostate cancer, where it is recommended the treatment success rate is favorable--on par with the success rate for procedures like radical prostatectomy, according to the American Cancer Society.
Instructions
Radiation Therapy
1. Consult with your doctor to determine if radiation therapy is a viable means of treating your particular case of prostate cancer. According to the American Cancer Society, radiation therapy is most often used during the early stages of cancer, where the tumor has yet to spread far into surrounding tissue. If your cancer is still confined to one of the early stages, consider radiation therapy for your cancer-fighting purposes.
2. Decide which type of radiation therapy is most appropriate for your situation. There are two primary subcategories of radiation therapy--external and internal radiation. External radiation therapy consists of radiation which is applied to the body from some outside source, such as a machine capable of generating x-ray or gamma beams. Internal radiation therapy involves objects placed within the body that emit low levels of radiation, allowing for a more targeted approach to treating prostate cancer. Internal radiation therapy is mainly used for early stages of cancer with slow-growing tumors. The procedure consists of small pellets being injected into the prostate. Each seed contains radioactive material. As the material cools, it emits radiation into the prostate which serves to counteract the spread of cancer.
3. Understand the method by which radiation therapy works to decide if it is best for you. Radiation therapy works by applying radiation to the cancer-infected areas of the body. This radiation serves to damage the genetic material of the cancer cells, rendering them unable to continue reproducing. Unfortunately, radiation therapy is not the most precise treatment method, so there will be some collateral damage to healthy cells in the body as well. This is an unavoidable cost of treatment.
4. Understand the side effects before treating prostate cancer with radiation therapy. According to the ACS, these side effects include problems with both the bladder and bowel, impotence, incontinence, fatigue, and fluid accumulation within the genitals and legs. Although all cancer treatment methods have some risk of side effects, these might not be situations with which you are willing to cope, so fully understand the risk before agreeing to radiation therapy.
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