| In helping patients choose the best
| |
| | although this is not as common with
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| prostate cancer treatment, several
| |
| | brachytherapy compared with other
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| factors are taken by doctors into
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| | treatment methods.
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| consideration. These factors include the
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| | The side effects associated with
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| patient's age, his health condition, the
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| | cryosurgery or cryoablation are often
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| stage and grade of the cancer, other
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| | worse if the procedure is done on a
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| diseases that the patient might have and
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| | patient who has already undergone
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| possible side effects.
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| | radiation therapy. Men who have had
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| It is a sad reality that even the best
| |
| | radiation therapy and cryosurgery can
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| prostate cancer treatment can have side
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| | sometimes have blood in their urine and
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| effects. For each therapeutic option,
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| | experience soreness in the areas where
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| there usually exists a corresponding side
| |
| | the needles were placed. Swelling of the
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| effect. It is important for every patient
| |
| | scrotum and the penis is also possible,
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| and doctor to know the possible
| |
| | and so are impotence and urinary
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| ramifications of treatment procedures, be
| |
| | incontinence. In some cases, a fistula or
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| it surgical, radiation-based,
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| | abnormal opening or connection between
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| chemotherapy, hormonal or cryosurgery.
| |
| | the rectum and the bladder may occur.
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| Surgical procedures for treating prostate
| |
| | This could result to urine leaking into
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| cancer include radical retropubic
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| | the rectum and may require surgery to
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| prostatectomy, radical perineal
| |
| | repair.
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| prostatectomy, laparoscopic radical
| |
| | The debate on whether hormone therapy
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| prostatectomy and transurethral
| |
| | should be started early or used only at
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| resection. The risks associated with
| |
| | the advanced stage has yet to be
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| radical prostatectomy include anesthetic
| |
| | resolved. The primary problem with the
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| risks, heart attack, stroke, blood clots
| |
| | use of hormones is that over time,
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| in the legs and lungs and infection at
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| | majority of patients become resistant to
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| the incision site. Major side effects of
| |
| | this treatment. Aside from this, hormone
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| surgical procedures can also include
| |
| | therapy can also cause impotence, hot
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| urinary incontinence, impotence,
| |
| | flashes and loss of sex drive.
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| sterility and lymphadema. Lymphadema is a
| |
| | Chemotherapy, just like hormone therapy,
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| rare complication characterized by
| |
| | is unlikely to result in a cure but is
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| swelling and pain particularly in the
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| | primarily used to slow the growth of the
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| legs and the genital area. This is caused
| |
| | cancer. The main problem with
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| by fluid collection due to the removal of
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| | chemotherapy is that it could also damage
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| lymph nodes.
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| | normal cells. Some of the temporary side
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| When it comes to external beam radiation
| |
| | effects associated with this procedure
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| therapy (EBRT), the most notable side
| |
| | include nausea and vomiting, loss of
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| effects reported by researchers are bowel
| |
| | appetite, hair loss, mouth sores,
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| problems, bladder problems, incontinence,
| |
| | increased risk of infection, bleeding or
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| impotence, and in some cases, fatigue.
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| | bruising and blood clots.
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| Lymphadema is also possible after EBRT.
| |
| | Side effects can exist even in the best
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| Brachytherapy, or internal radiation
| |
| | prostate cancer treatment. The best thing
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| therapy, carries some of the side effects
| |
| | for a patient to do is to discuss these
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| also associated with EBRT; with bowel
| |
| | possible risks with his doctor before
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| problems and frequent urination as the
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| | deciding on the type of treatment or
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| most common. Impotence can also occur
| |
| | maintenance method.
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