What Are the Complications of Brachytherapy?
What Are the Complications of Brachytherapy?Answer: The most common symptoms that appear within the first few days after source implantation for brachytherapy are urinary symptoms, such as urgency, frequency and pain with urination. These normally temporary symptoms are likely due to swelling and irritation of the prostate from the implantation procedure. Long-term urinary symptoms are uncommon, but possible. A certain percentage of men will have persisten urinary incontinence, urinary voiding irritation or other urinary problems that require further treatment. Bowel symptoms, such as rectal urgency, bowel frequency, or bleeding into the stools, can also occur. Some studies have found that these symptoms tend to get better over time, though. Impotency (erectile dysfunction) is also a complication in a fair number of patients treated with brachytherapy. All of these complications can also be seen with
