Radiation Oncology for Prostate Cancer
When patients feel a lump, the diagnosis may be a tumor, but not necessarily mean cancer. A benign tumor is usually left alone unless it keeps growing or causes pain, but a malignant tumor is cancerous and damages the surrounding prostate tissue. A physician will usually determine the severity of the tumor before deciding on a treatment option before the tumor becomes metastatic and spreads to the rest of the body. An oncologist is a physician who studies and treats tumors, and one such way to treat them is with radiation oncology, a specialty and Specialty Surgical Center.
Radiation therapy helps prostate cancer patients by using specific doses of radiation in an attempt to eliminate cancer cells that form tumors. Cancer cells do not stop growing and dividing like normal cells. This causes a buildup of a lump of cells (a tumor). Radiation therapy works by using an X-ray machine to get into the cancer cells and disrupt their DNA so they die off and stop multiplying.
Many of our prostate cancer patients prefer radiation therapy because it targets only the areas around the prostate, whereas chemotherapy treatments affect the entire body. Radiation therapy is an outpatient procedure, but it is up to the oncologist to determine how long you need to come back and repeat the treatment for.
Patients may not feel any pain during the procedure, but may be left with side effects that may last a few weeks. Appearance wise, the patient may lose pubic hair and have red and irritated skin around the genitalia. The bladder may become inflamed causing frequent urination that may be accompanied with a burning feeling.
There are a few less-common side effects that may happen even years after radiation therapy treatment. They could include anything from problems getting and keeping an erection to increased bowel movements. The radiation therapy may shrink tubes in the penis making it difficult to urinate as well. All side effects will be reviewed with the patient and our staff will work with the patient to make sure they know that the patient and physician are working as a team. Together they will do their best to eliminate the prostate cancer for good.
Specialty Surgical Center is located in Sparta, New Jersey and our staff consists of board certified surgeons and anesthesiologists performing procedures in Orthopedics, Sports Medicine, Spinal Care, Podiatry, Urology, Pain Management, ENT, Hand Surgery, Lithotripsy, Brachytherapy, GYN and Laser Surgery.
For more information about Specialty Surgical Center, call 973-940-3166 or visit our Contact Page.