| When a patient is first diagnosed with prostate | | | | effective at curing more bulky prostate cancers. |
| cancer and has had all the relevant tests to check | | | | EXTERNAL BEAM RADIOTHERAPY FOR PROSTATE |
| the extent of the disease he will normally have an | | | | CANCER |
| appointment with his doctor to discuss what is best. | | | | The majority of men with cancer of the prostate will |
| Prostate cancer treatment will depend on the extent | | | | have this type of radiation treatment. It is given by a |
| of the cancer and on the intent of the treatment. | | | | machine called a Linear Accelerator. This makes high |
| For example early prostate cancers will be treated | | | | energy X-rays which are good at killing cancer cells. |
| with surgery, radiotherapy or watchful waiting. | | | | Linear accelerators are worked by radiographers who |
| Prostate cancer surgery is a definite possibility for | | | | will also help you get into the right position for your |
| many men in the early stages of the disease and so | | | | treatment and give you advice during your |
| the subject should be discussed with the doctor. Late | | | | treatment. |
| prostate cancers will be treated with hormone | | | | For the treatment the patient has to lie on a thin |
| therapy, radiotherapy, chemotherapy or a mixture of | | | | couch, rather like those used in the CT or MRI |
| all 3. Often patients will be given a choice of | | | | scanners. The machine then moves around the |
| treatments by the doctor and the pros and cons of | | | | patient to deliver X-rays from several different |
| each option explained. There is no best cancer of | | | | angles, all pointing towards the prostate gland. Each |
| prostate treatment because the treatment you | | | | treatment takes approximately 10 minutes to give, |
| receive will depend on the extent of your cancer. | | | | and the full dose of treatment is spread out to be |
| PROSTATE CANCER RADIOTHERAPY (COMMONLY | | | | given every day over a few weeks. This helps to |
| CALLED PROSTATE CANCER RADIATION | | | | give a big enough dose to the prostate to kill the |
| TREATMENT) | | | | cancer whilst reducing the side effects of treatment. |
| Many men undergo radiotherapy as it is often | | | | To make sure you are in the correct position and the |
| regarded as the best prostate cancer treatment. This | | | | prostate is being treated properly either an X-ray |
| may be with the aim to cure the cancer or to shrink | | | | picture or more usually an extra CT scan will be |
| and control it depending on the stage. Often | | | | taken before treatment starts to locate the prostate |
| hormone treatment is given prior to radiation | | | | gland accurately. At this time you will also be given |
| treatment to help reduce the size of the cancer and | | | | several tattoos (tiny dots on the skin) so that when |
| improve the rate of cure. Small cancers don't need | | | | you lie on the couch for each treatment the |
| this hormone pre-treatment. | | | | radiographers can make sure you are lined up |
| TYPES OF PROSTATE CANCER RADIOTHERAPY | | | | properly. This helps to make sure the prostate gland |
| Radiotherapy is the treatment for cancer of the | | | | is treated fully and to reduce side effects. |
| prostate with radiation. This is most often as X-rays | | | | Patients are not able to feel X-rays or even be |
| which pass through the body and kill the cancer cells | | | | aware that the treatment machine is on. However as |
| in its path known as "external beam radiotherapy". | | | | patients go through the weeks of treatment there |
| The alternative way to treat the prostate is from | | | | are a number of common side effects that can be |
| within the body using small radioactive sources | | | | expected. Most of these are short term side effects |
| known as "brachytherapy". Brachytherapy is only | | | | which slowly build up through the treatment, are |
| suitable for a small proportion of men with early | | | | worst at or just after the end of treatment and |
| prostate cancer and with a suitable sized prostate | | | | then improve quite quickly (within a few weeks). |
| gland. It has the advantage of slightly fewer side | | | | There are also some long-term or late side effects |
| effects during the treatment but would not be so | | | | which can occur. |