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If you’ve been diagnosed with prostate cancer you have a million questions. One of the first things that will probably cross your mind is “What next?” There are so many treatment options for prostate cancer, your doctor will need to carefully evaluate what treatment is best for you. In many cases, your doctor may suggest radiation therapy.
There are several types of radiation therapy for prostate cancer, and radiation therapy methods for treating prostate cancer are evolving and improving constantly. There are two main classifications for this type of therapy.
One type is called external beam therapy. This type of radiation therapy involves outpatient treatment of prostate cancer by giving a dose of radiation via a machine several times a week for several minutes at a time. Side effects are relatively mild, and no anesthesia is required for external beam therapy.
The other type of radiation therapy involves the implantation of “seeds” which emit radiation. It takes a single visit in order to implant these “seeds,” which are actually small radioactive pellets. They are inserted via injection. The side effects of this treatment may be more severe.
Both types of radiation treatment have similar rates of recovery and success. However, surgery may be more effective in some patients as there may be a greater risk of relapse when using radiation therapy alone. For those patients for whom surgery is not an option, however, radiation therapy of either type can be the answer. Your doctor will best be able to advise you on all of the treatment options that he or she feels are applicable to your individual case.
Some of the side effects of radiation treatment are unpleasant or uncomfortable–burning during urination, or impotence, for example. However, radiation treatments are always improving, and in any case, these side effects are far preferable to unchecked prostate cancer.









