What are the side effects?

Occasionally, after LDR brachytherapy, there may be some initial difficulty passing urine, but this usually settles down within 6 months. Studies have shown that 1 or 2 out of every 100 men (1–2% of patients) have persistent problems.

Studies have shown that fewer than 1 in 10 men (10%) may have changes in with bowel movements, such as diarrhoea, but again these usually resolve on their own over time.

Recently Investigators have reported that erectile dysfunction (ED) is less common after LDR brachytherapy than with other prostate cancer treatments in men who were sexually active before treatment. ED problems often respond to treatment with a class of drugs known as PDE5 inhibitors which your General Practitioner can advise you about.

  1. Buron C, Le Vu B, Jean-Cosset J-M et al. Brachytherapy versus Prostatectomy In Localized Prostate Cancer: Results of a French Multicenter Prospective Medico-Economic Study. Int. J. Radiation Oncology Biol. Phys. 2007, Vol. 67, No. 3, Pp. 812–822
  2. Frank SJ, Pisters LL, Davis J et al. An Assessment of Quality of Life Following Radical Prostatectomy, High Dose External Beam Radiation Therapy and Brachytherapy Iodine Implantation as Monotherapies for Localized Prostate Cancer. J Urol 2007. Vol. 177, 2151-2156
  3. Ferrer M, Suárez JF, Guedea F et al. Health-related quality of life 2 years after treatment with radical prostatectomy, prostate brachytherapy, or external beam radiotherapy in patients with clinically localized prostate cancer. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 2008 Oct 1;72(2):421-32. Epub 2008 Mar 5.

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