After Radiation Therapy, Cancer May Return to Alamogordo
Radiation Therapy Alamogordo :
After receiving radiation therapy, many Alamogordo cancer patients experience a decrease in the number of prostate-specific antigens (PSA) in their bloodstream. This decline indicates that their prostate gland has been destroyed or reduced to an undetectable level. Since the PSA test relies on these proteins, patients are under the assumption that their cancer is gone forever and have returned to living normal lives without the fear of reoccurrence or metastasis.
Understanding Prostate Cancer:
Radiation therapy is a common treatment option for prostate cancer. Radiation therapy destroys cancer cells by damaging the DNA in their cell nucleus. Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels drop when radiation treatment is successful, but they may recur after radiation therapy and be undetectable when patients return for their regular screening. If you have been diagnosed with prostate cancer and are considering radiation therapy as an option, it is important to understand that the disease may still recur after treatment.
What happens after radiation therapy?
Radiation therapy is a type of treatment that uses high-energy waves or other particles to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors. During radiation therapy, doctors aim high-energy beams of radiation at the cancerous tumor. Radiation therapy may be given externally or internally (brachytherapy). The type of radiation used depends on what part of the body is being treated. Radiation therapy is most often used for treating prostate cancer.
Radiation therapy can have many side effects including diarrhea, constipation, and mouth sores. Many patients experience fatigue and some may suffer from mood changes such as depression or anxiety as well as a lack of interest in sex or difficulty with erections.
The latest studies on recurrent prostate cancer in New Mexico
In the US, prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men. Recurrent prostate cancer can happen months or years after treatment. There are a variety of treatments available for patients with recurrent prostate cancer. These include surgery, radiation therapy, and hormonal therapies. Radiation therapy is one of the most commonly used treatments for patients with prostate recurrence.
Radiation therapy is often offered to patients if they have an enlarged gland that cannot be surgically removed or if they have been treated with external beam radiation therapy and their PSA levels are rising again.
How this information helps you?
Radiation therapy is a treatment option for prostate cancer patients. Radiation therapy can be used in conjunction with other treatments like chemotherapy or surgery. After radiation therapy, the cells left in your prostate gland may still be able to reproduce and form new cancers. Even after radiation treatments are completed, there is always the chance that cancer will return. For example, if you have been diagnosed with prostate cancer and had radiation therapy in Alamogordo, NM at Drs. Maggio & Jameson’s Health Care Centers of New Mexico then it’s important for you to visit your healthcare provider regularly the following treatment so they can help keep an eye on any changes that might occur.
What can you do now?
Radiation therapy can reduce the risk of prostate cancer returning. To further reduce this risk:
1) Get your PSA checked every six months for at least five years after treatment, and 2) Talk with your doctor about being screened for other cancers.
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Radiation therapy is a cancer treatment that uses high-energy radiation beams that kill cancer cells. Since tumor cells are more sensitive to the effects of radiation than normal cells, radiation therapy can shrink or destroy tumors. The goal of radiation therapy is to: 1) relieve pain and pressure in the area of the tumor; 2) reduce the size and number of cancerous cells; 3) control cancer growth. Radiation treatments have different side effects depending on which body part is being treated and how long each treatment lasts. When patients return for their regular screening, new cells are detected. If the prostate gland has been removed, prostate-specific antigens (PSAs) decrease and are eventually undetectable.
