How to Deal With Prostate Cancer Treatment Side Effects

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By eHow Contributing Writer

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Prostate cancer involves the malignant growth of cancerous cells in the prostate. This type of cancer is usually treated using a single technique or a combination of treatments, including surgery or cryosurgery, radiation therapy, hormone therapy and chemotherapy. Each treatment option comes with a different set of side effects, and the severity is correlated to the stage of your particular prostate cancer case.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

Computer with Internet access
Oncologist

Manage Your Cancer Surgery Side Effects

Step 1

Discuss ways to manage the loss of urinary control prior to surgery. In some cases, nerve damage (the primary cause of post-operative urinary incontinence) can be mitigated.
Step 2

Know that cryosurgery techniques usually carry less risk of urinary control side effects, but that the overwhelming majority of men who receive cryosurgical treatment experience impotence.
Step 3

Treat post-operation pain with an effective pain killer. Opioid analgesics (such as codeine and oxycodone) are usually prescribed. Be aware that such painkillers carry a risk of dependency, and must be used as directed.
Step 4

Treat any post-operative erectile difficulties you may experience using sildenafil, tadalafil or vardenafil. Many patients report that such medications aid their ability to achieve and maintain an erection. Be aware that your biological ability to reach orgasm is usually not affected by prostate cancer surgery.

Mitigate Radiation Therapy Side Effects

Step 1

Know that rectal bleeding is a common side effect of receiving radiation therapy for prostate cancer. The temporary usage of adult diapers may be necessary to deal with potential clothing soilage.
Step 2

Ask your doctor for a prescription-strength bismuth solution to help control your diarrhea, if you experience this complication.
Step 3

Avoid using any kind of skin creams or lotions to treat skin affected by radiation treatment unless directed by your doctor. Soothe your skin by keeping it exposed to air, but shielded from the sun, if at all possible.
Step 4

Know that the side effects you deal with during radiation therapy are temporary and generally diminish after treatment ends.

Treat Your Hormone Therapy Side Effects

Step 1

Treat bone pain with a prescription painkiller. As with surgery, an opioid-based painkiller is usually prescribed to manage any bone pain resulting from metastasis of prostate cancer.
Step 2

Join a support group. You are likely to suffer significant psychological side effects if your testicles need to be removed to treat your prostate cancer.
Step 3

Be patient. The hot flashes, weight gain and decline in libido are often more severe at the beginning of hormone therapy treatments than they are once treatment has been going on for a while. As always, ask your doctor if there's any action you can take that benefit your specific case.

Control Chemotherapy Side Effects

Step 1

Take it easy. Don't engage in any activities that carry a significant risk of bone strain. Bones become more brittle, and therefore easily broken, when taking drug treatments for prostate cancer.
Step 2

Have injections of radioisotopes if metastasis of prostate cancer is affecting your bones. Strontium-89 and phosphorus-32 have both been shown to assuage the severity of pain resulting from bone cancers.
Step 3

Use a nausea suppressant if your chemotherapy treatments upset your stomach. In the past several years, a number of effective new drugs to treat nauseating side effects of cancer drugs have appeared on the market. Ask your doctor to recommend one.
Step 4

Be aware that the undesirable side effects you deal with during treatment ought to subside when treatment is stopped.