Complications From Prostate Cancer

Complications From Prostate Cancer

Complications from prostate cancer are related to both the disease and its treatment. One of the biggest fears of many men who have prostate cancer is that treatment may leave them incontinent or impotent. Fortunately, therapies exist to help cope with or treat these conditions.

The typical complications of prostate cancer and its treatments include:

Spread of cancer. Prostate cancer can spread to nearby organs and bones and can be life-threatening.
Pain. Although early-stage prostate cancer typically isn't painful, once it has spread to bones, it may produce pain, which can be intense. Treatment can range from the use of over-the-counter pain relievers to prescription narcotics. Radiation also is commonly used to treat painful lesions. Often radiation and prescription pain relievers are combined.
Not all people with cancer that has spread to bones have pain. Pain can be controlled, and there's no reason a person has to suffer with intense pain. If your doctor is unable to control your pain effectively, you may need to consult a pain specialist. While it's not always possible to make all of your pain go away, your doctor will work with you to try to control pain to a point where you're comfortable.

Urinary incontinence. Both prostate cancer and its treatment can cause incontinence. Some men experience incontinence after surgery to remove the prostate. Treatment recommendations depend on the type of incontinence you have, how severe it is and the chance that it will improve given time. Treatments include behavior modifications (such as going to the bathroom at set times rather than according to urges), exercises to strengthen pelvic muscles (commonly called Kegel exercises), medications and catheters. If leakage problems have continued for a prolonged period without improvement, your doctor may suggest more progressive procedures. These procedures may include implanting an artificial urinary sphincter, placement of a sling of synthetic material to compress the urethra, or the injection of bulking agents into the lining of the urethra at the base of the bladder to reduce leakage.
Erectile dysfunction (ED) or impotence. Like incontinence, ED can be a result of prostate cancer or its treatment, including surgery, radiation or hormone treatments. Medications and vacuum devices that assist in achieving erection are available to treat ED. Medications include sildenafil (Viagra), tadalafil (Cialis) and vardenafil (Levitra). If other treatments fail, penile implants can be inserted surgically to help create an erection.
Depression. Many men may develop feelings of depression after a diagnosis of prostate cancer or after trying to cope with the side effects of treatment. These feelings may last for only a short time, they may come and go, or they may linger for weeks or months. Depression that lingers and interferes with your ability to manage your life should be treated. Treatment may involve counseling or antidepressant medication. A combination of the two therapies often is successful.