What Is Radiation Therapy For Localized Prostate Cancer?
A common form of treatment for localized prostate cancer today is Radiation Therapy, high-energy X-rays used to kill cancer cells. These X-rays can be presented by external irradiation or by implantation of radiation seeds in the prostate.
In cases where the tumors are large, it is also common for the hormone therapy with radiation therapy blocks the effect of male hormones that fuel the growth of prostate tumors. These hormonal treatments are often continued for months or even years.
External radiation not only the objectives of the prostate, but also the seminal vesicles, prostate cancer can spread easily. In earlier forms of this treatment was also common to irradiate the lymph nodes in the catchment areas, but today it is only a minority of cases where the evidence shows this is done as necessary.
In general, few immediate side effects of radiation therapy other than fatigue and possibly diarrhea, when radiation is applied to the rectum, but both soon pass once the treatment.
In the long term also has Impotence affects about 40% and 50% of patients. This figure is made possible with the introduction of computer technology now that the treatment should be tailored to the anatomy of the patient with the most accurate measure of what was previously possible decline.
As for the internal radiotherapy is a process in which dozens of tiny seeds directly implanted into the prostate to deliver a high radiation dose to the affected tissue.
Ultrasound is used to deposit the dam of very fine needles into the prostate guide for small grains of palladium and iodine in a model that has already been allocated by a sophisticated computer program. The procedure, which takes about one hour, performed under local anesthesia and the patient may usually go home the same day. An alternative approach is the use of temporary seed implants has been powerful for several days and presented possibly associated with small doses of radiation therapy. This procedure requires hospitalization.
Internal radiation therapy has few side effects and generally leads to impotence in less than 15%, of patients younger than 70 years ago. However, it is convenient for everyone, especially men with large tumors or those who underwent transurethral resection of the prostate in benign prostatic hyperplasia.
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