During the last several years, many men in America have been diagnosed with prostate cancer, making it one of the most common types of cancer that affects men. A person is said to have prostate cancer when the prostate gland present in man’s reproductive system is affected by cancerous cells. It is usually found in men above 65 years, but there have also been cases where even younger men have been diagnosed with prostate cancer.

Though it is a serious disease, with the advancement of technology there are a variety of treatment measures that aid in treating prostate cancer. The two most popular ways of treating prostate cancer are surgery and radiation therapy. The treatment measure used would vary from person to person. For some, only surgery would be used, while for others radiation therapy would be the most effective. Sometimes, the treatment would be a combination of both surgery and radiation. Other treatment measures for prostate cancer include chemotherapy, hormonal therapy, etc.

Radiation therapy, like surgery for prostate cancer aims at destroying the cancerous cells present in the prostate gland. Though radiation therapy is an effective way of treating prostate cancer, it is accompanied with a variety of side effects. However, before we look at the prostate cancer radiation side effects, it is important to know about the two types of radiation therapy available for treating prostate cancer. Read the rest of this entry »