Is prostate cancer radiotherapy painful?

Written by Liu Liang
Oncology
Updated on April 05, 2025
00:00
00:00

Prostate cancer radiotherapy involves high doses of radiation, which typically results in related side effects. However, the severity of these side effects varies from patient to patient depending on individual factors such as their physical constitution. Therefore, clinically, some patients may experience severe symptoms, while others may have milder symptoms, indicating significant individual differences. Common side effects of radiotherapy include radiation cystitis, characterized by frequent urination, urgency, and possibly hematuria. Radiation proctitis is also common, presenting symptoms such as a sensation of heaviness around the anus and diarrhea. Additionally, bone marrow suppression, manifesting as a decrease in white blood cells and platelets, is another side effect.

Other Voices

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Liu Liang
Oncology
59sec home-news-image

Can prostate cancer be cured?

Prostate cancer, whether it can be cured or not, depends on the specific analysis of the patient with prostate cancer. If it is an early-stage patient, meaning there is no metastasis to distant organs, and it is assessed that radical surgery or radical radiotherapy can be performed, then these early-stage prostate cancer patients still have the hope of being cured through these treatment methods. However, for patients with advanced prostate cancer, such as those who are diagnosed with multiple bone metastases at the onset—a very common clinical occurrence, prostate cancer combined with bone metastasis is very common—these advanced-stage prostate cancer patients cannot be cured through treatment. The purpose of treatment is to alleviate the patient's pain and extend the patient's survival, but these advanced-stage patients cannot be cured.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Cui Fang Bo
Oncology
38sec home-news-image

Prostate cancer IV is stage 4.

Prostate cancer stage IV refers to stage four prostate cancer, which is a common type of male reproductive organ tumor, particularly prevalent among elderly men. Stage four prostate cancer means that the tumor is not confined to the prostate and has already shown corresponding distant metastasis. The most common sites of metastasis for prostate cancer are the bones, followed by the lungs, liver, and others. When metastasis of prostate cancer occurs, it is considered to be at a late stage, and the primary treatments include endocrine therapy, chemotherapy, etc., with a poor prognosis.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Liu Liang
Oncology
48sec home-news-image

How is prostate cancer formed?

The causes of prostate cancer are not yet very clear. According to relevant data analysis, the occurrence of prostate cancer may be related to prostate gonorrhea, infections with viruses or chlamydia, as well as the intensity of sexual activity and the impact of hormones. On the other hand, a high-fat diet and some occupational factors are also somewhat related to the disease. Therefore, the formation of prostate cancer is the result of multifactorial influences including environmental and genetic factors, personal lifestyle habits, and dietary habits, all of which are significantly interconnected.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Zhou Zi Hua
Oncology
43sec home-news-image

Where can prostate cancer metastasize to?

When prostate cancer invades surrounding tissues and structures, it can cause a variety of clinical symptoms, including urinary irritation, urinary obstruction, urinary incontinence, sciatica, erectile dysfunction, etc., and can compress causing unilateral or bilateral hydronephrosis. In severe cases, when the tumor invades the rectum, it can cause difficulty in defecation or colon obstruction. When the cancer metastasizes to the bones, it can cause bone pain and pathological fractures, and may also spread to the lungs.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Liu Liang
Oncology
52sec home-news-image

Can people with prostate cancer eat mutton?

Patients with prostate cancer can eat mutton. There is a folk belief about certain foods being "heaty", which refers to foods like mutton, beef, roosters, and bamboo shoots, often labeled as such and believed to be unsuitable for consumption. However, this belief is unscientific. From a medical perspective, patients with prostate cancer should primarily avoid junk food, such as barbecued items, pickled and smoked products, and especially oily and high-fat foods. Reducing the intake of these foods is recommended. Other than that, all other foods can be eaten, as long as there is a balanced nutrition and a good mix of meat, eggs, vegetables, and fruits. The idea of the so-called "heaty" foods is not scientifically based.