Radiation therapy is one of the many treatment options prostate cancer patient has to choose. This is a method that uses high energy x-rays or any other types or energy. It aims to kill the most cancers cells or to keep the most cancers cells from growing back again.

There are two known types of therapy using radiation which can be used to treat prostate cancer. One is the actual external radiation therapy (XRT) which utilizes a machine or perhaps a medical equipment outside of the entire body and is capable of sending rays. The other one is the internal radiation therapy which uses radioactive substance like in the brachytherapy.

An example of an external radiation therapy is the IMRT or the Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy in which multiple beams coming from a variety of directions are used to focused on the target area- the prostate gland. The physicians were able to adjust the strength and the strength of the beams based on the computerized program prior to the operation. This is important so that more radiation will blast the actual tumors or the cancer tissue and less is delivered to the surrounding organs like bladder and rectum.

In Brachytherapy, some small radioactive capsules which they call “seeds” tend to be implanted into the cancerous prostate glands. These seeds will then give off radiation to the surrounding areas aiming to kill all the malignant tumors. Men that are identified as having prostate cancer at stage T1 or T2 are said to be candidate for this type of treatment.

The oncologist first results in a 3-D grid map area of prostate gland using TRUS or Transrectal Ultrasound. The computer will then calculates the volume of the gland; determine the number of seeds that will be implanted and also to figure out the location of the implantation.

The procedure would consider about 50 to 60 minutes to finish and usually on an hospital basis. The patient is only provided a regional anesthesia prior to a needle with about 100 or more rice-sized seeds are placed to a predetermined area. These types of seeds contain the radioactive isotopes of palladium 103 and iodine 125 capable of emitting rays for a period of three months. These types of isotopes will become inert after the three 30 days period.

There are side effects the actual men are suffering when given radiation. Impotence as well as urinary system problems is the most common types. Men who went through the radiation therapy have a greater risk of anal cancer and also bladder most cancers. A small number of patients who have undergone brachytherapy especially those over the age of 70 are also noted to have experience erectile dysfunction or incontinence.

With the technology of ours today, period will come the percentage of men will be fully recovered after the rays or other treatment options they undergone. Gather more information through going to http://www.ProstateRadiation.org.