Brachytherapy for Prostate Cancer: Seeds, Dose Delivery and Candidates
Risk • candidateTRUS • templateLDR • seedsHDR • cathetersPSA • follow-up Brachytherapy treats prostate cancer by placing a sealed radiation source directly inside the prostate rather than sending the full treatment dose through the body from an external machine. Low-dose-rate (LDR) brachytherapy leaves small radioactive seeds permanently in the prostate, where their radiation gradually decays. […]
Radiation Therapy for Prostate Cancer: External Beam, Brachytherapy and Treatment Selection
Risk • stageBeam • implantFraction • doseADT • intensifyPSA • follow-up Radiation therapy can treat prostate cancer with curative intent by delivering ionizing radiation to the prostate and selected surrounding tissues while limiting dose to the bladder, rectum, urethra and other normal structures. The two main local radiation approaches are external-beam radiation therapy (EBRT), delivered […]
Androgen Deprivation Therapy (ADT) for Prostate Cancer: Testosterone Suppression, Uses and Side Effects
Androgen • receptorTestes • testosteroneAgonist • antagonistRisk • combinationBone • metabolic Androgen deprivation therapy lowers testosterone—or blocks the hormonal pathway that prostate cancer uses for growth. The main testosterone-suppressing approaches are bilateral orchiectomy, gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH/LHRH) agonists, and GnRH antagonists. Androgen deprivation therapy can strengthen radiation treatment in intermediate- and high-risk localized disease, control recurrent […]
Prostate Cancer Treatment Side Effects: Urinary, Sexual, Bowel and Hormonal Effects
Surgery • leakageSex • erectionsRadiation • bowelADT • hormonesRehab • recovery Prostate cancer treatments can affect urinary control, erections and orgasm, bowel function, libido, testosterone-dependent body systems and long-term quality of life—and the pattern depends strongly on the treatment used. Radical prostatectomy most often causes an immediate urinary-leakage and erectile-function burden. External-beam radiation and brachytherapy […]
Erectile Dysfunction After Prostate Cancer Treatment: Causes, Recovery and Rehabilitation
Nerves • vesselsSurgery • injuryRadiation • delayADT • libidoRehab • function Erectile dysfunction after prostate cancer treatment can result from nerve injury, vascular injury, fibrosis, testosterone suppression—or a combination of these mechanisms. Radical prostatectomy most often causes an abrupt erectile decline because the neurovascular bundles run directly along the prostate. Radiation tends to produce a […]
Urinary Incontinence After Prostate Cancer Surgery: Causes, Recovery and Management
Bladder • neckSphincter • supportStress • leakagePelvic floor • recoverySling • AUS Urinary incontinence after radical prostatectomy most commonly occurs because removing the prostate changes the anatomy and support around the urinary sphincter. Leakage is expected in the early period after catheter removal and usually improves as swelling settles, the bladder adapts and pelvic-floor/sphincter control […]
Sex and Ejaculation After Prostate Cancer Treatment: Orgasm, Semen and Sexual Function
Orgasm • sensationSemen • emissionSurgery • dryRadiation • declineClimacturia • urine Prostate cancer treatment can change ejaculation, orgasm and sexual experience even when erectile function is discussed separately. Radical prostatectomy permanently removes the main organs that contribute seminal fluid, so ejaculation no longer occurs after surgery even though orgasm can still be possible. Radiation leaves […]
Libido After Prostate Cancer Treatment: ADT, Testosterone and Sexual Desire
Desire • arousalADT • testosteroneRecovery • timeMood • fatigueBridge • libido root Low libido after prostate cancer treatment can come from direct testosterone suppression, treatment-related sexual dysfunction, fatigue, mood changes, body-image changes or relationship strain—and the mechanism matters. Androgen deprivation therapy has the clearest direct biological effect because it intentionally lowers testosterone, a hormone that […]
What Is Biochemical Recurrence After Prostate Cancer? PSA Rise, Definitions and Next Steps
PSA • signalSurgery • ≥0.2Radiation • nadir+2Kinetics • riskImaging • salvage Biochemical recurrence means prostate-specific antigen (PSA) has risen after treatment intended to control or cure prostate cancer, suggesting recurrent cancer before recurrence is necessarily visible on imaging or causing symptoms. It is also called biochemical relapse or PSA recurrence. The definition depends on the […]
Prostate Cancer Recurrence: Local, Biochemical and Metastatic Recurrence
PSA • biochemicalBed • localNodes • regionalBone • distantHormone • state Prostate cancer recurrence means cancer has returned or persisted after treatment intended to control the original disease. Recurrence may first appear only as a PSA rise, may be confined to the prostate or prostate bed, may involve pelvic lymph nodes, or may be metastatic […]