Intestinal Concerns After Prostate Cancer Treatment

While many people are familiar with the diarrhea that often occurs after prostate cancer treatment, there are some other medium range to long term problems that may develop. As may be expected, the nature of your intestinal side effects will be largely determined by the type of treatment that you undergo. In many cases, the severity and duration of intestinal problems after prostate cancer treatment may also be related to dietary choices and the condition of your overall health.

One of the most common treatments for prostate cancer is radiation. Irregardless of the radiation type and delivery method, you are likely to have some rectal problems after prostate cancer treatment. As an example, you may experience diarrhea, mucus, and rectal bleeding soon after prostate cancer treatment. Fecal incontinence, ulceration and infection may also develop after progressive radiation sessions. Many men also develop fatigue as a result of dehydration.

In approximately 33% of men that undergo radiation, it may take a year, or more for these side effects to go away. Because cells in the rectum multiply faster than ones in the prostate, they are much easier to kill with radiation. Unfortunately, because the prostate and rectum are so physically close to each other, it is almost impossible to keep the radiation from saturating parts of the rectum. That said, over the years, computer imaging combined with 3-D shaping technologies have enabled technicians to focus just on the prostate, instead of a square shaped area. When choosing a radiation facility, it is important to be educated about delivery methods and procedures. This can go a long way to help reduce the severity of side effects after prostate cancer treatment.

As you are aware, chemotherapy is famous for causing diarrhea and other intestinal problems after prostate cancer treatment. Today, many chemotherapy agents are still based on more conventional antibiotics. Their affects on the intestines occurs mainly because they kill off the bacteria in the large intestine that help absorb water into the body. If you need to go for chemotherapy, it is important to try and keep your intestines as healthy as possible. You may want to check with your doctor about the usefulness of live culture yogurt, as well as acidophilus tablets.

Finally, prostate surgery also creates a range of rectal problems. Because the rectum rests against the prostate, you may experience constipation until the rectum realigns. You may experience this for approximately two weeks after prostate cancer treatment. During that time, it is very important not to strain, as pressure in this area can disrupt the stitches, as well as contaminate the incision. If you elect to go for surgery, it is important to drink plenty of water, and eat plenty of fiber, as well as exercise. You may also want to try a stool softener.

Many of the side effects that occur after prostate cancer treatment are caused by the proximity of the prostate to other organs. Because the prostate is difficult to reach, both surgical and radiation procedures may cause damage to other tissues. That said, today, there are a number of advances in how treatments are delivered. With some careful research into your options, as well as choice of facility, you may be able to reduce some of the intestinal problems that occur after prostate cancer treatment.

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