According to information from the medical website Medline Plus, the threat of prostate cancer looms larger as one ages, becoming a viable threat for men over the age of 50. Detecting prostate cancer is important for maximizing survival rate, so become attenuated to the early symptoms, including changes in your urinary habits, pain while ejaculating or localized pain in the prostate region or the lower back. Where prostate cancer appears, radiation therapy is one of the more accepted means of fighting the disease.
Radiation Theory
Understand the theory behind radiation therapy in order to grasp its importance in treating prostate cancer. According to the National Cancer Institute, radiation therapy consists of the emission of focused beams of radiation into the body through internal or external sources. This radiation acts to damage the cancer cells at a genetic level, corrupting their DNA and rendering them unable to continue dividing. Unfortunately, radiation therapy is not an incredibly precise procedure, so some collateral damage to healthy tissue occurs during the procedure as well. This can lead to side effects such as nausea, fatigue, impotence and incontinence problems through both the bladder and bowel.
External Radiation
Know that external radiation therapy is the preferred method for dealing with prostate cancer of all stages. External radiation therapy consists of radiation applied from an outside source, such as a machine that emits gamma or X-rays. According to the American Cancer Society, external radiation therapy is usually applied daily (five days out of the week) for a stretch of seven to nine weeks at a time before giving the body a break from treatment. More advanced methods of external radiation treatment are able to minimize damage to surrounding tissue by providing more targeted radiation. These methods include proton beam therapy, intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) and 3D conformal radiation therapy.
Internal Radiation
The other primary method of applying radiation therapy for prostate cancer is internal radiation, or brachytherapy. According to the ACS, internal radiation therapy is really only used for cases of prostate cancer that are detected early and have yet to spread outside of the prostate. During this form of treatment, small pellets containing radioactive material will be injected into the prostate gland and left there permanently. Over time, the radioactive material in these pellets will decay, releasing radioactive energy to kill the cancerous cells. The major advantage of this form of treatment is that it is much less likely to affect surrounding tissue. Oftentimes, internal radiation therapy is combined with external radiation therapy, increasing your odds of forcing prostate cancer into remission.
Tags: radiation therapy, prostate cancer, prostate cancer, external radiation, external radiation
