This information has been reprinted courtesy of the Erectile Dysfunction Information Center (www.erectile-dysfunction-treatment.org) for personal use only.

Radiation Therapy for Prostate Cancer
Can Cause Impotence

The facts are clear. Restoration of erectile function is possible for almost all men--even those for whom Viagra does not work. Understanding this, a national coalition of ED specialists set out to solve this epidemic of ignorance and unresolved male impotence.

Calling themselves the Erectile Dysfunction Information Center, this network of experienced doctors and nurses created an informational comprehensive website for men with ED and their partners.

On these pages you can read an overview of male impotence, learn about its causes and many treatment options, and obtain sound advice about relationships.

Radiation therapy treats early prostate cancer by destroying cancer cells. It can be a lifesaver. But it can also be a killer—of your sex life. (Click Prostate Cancer Treatment for a description of its relationship to impotence.)

Radiation therapy can cause impotence. It can damage arteries that carry blood to the penis. Radiation therapy can also cause scar tissue near the prostate that may reduce blood flow to the penis, and thus the ability to achieve an erection.

If you have ED as a result of radiation therapy, you are not alone. A study in the October 3, 2000, issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute revealed that two years after radiation therapy, 61.5% of men reported they were impotent. This side effect of radiation therapy can greatly affect a man’s life.

Because impotence is so common, medical science has recently developed and expanded treatments for it. Today, nearly every man who has impotence can be helped, even those who have been treated for prostate cancer. (Click here to learn about impotence treatments.)

Every ED treatment has pros and cons. Viagra® is a very patient-friendly treatment, for example, yet it commonly fails in 30-40% of the men who try it. When impotence is due to radiation therapy, Viagra is usually not a viable option.

At the other end of the treatment spectrum, a penile implant provides a solution for almost all patients--including those with impotence due to radiation therapy--but does require a 45-minute surgical procedure.

If you have impotence following radiation therapy...

If you have impotence following a radical prostatectomy, the best advice is to see an urologist who is experienced in treating impotence. These physicians understand the relationship between prostate cancer, radical prostatectomy, and impotence. They have up-to-date knowledge and experience in the latest treatments.

Also, make sure that you involve your partner in any discussion with the doctor regarding your post-radiation therapy impotence and its treatment. Your partner's sexual satisfaction is at stake, too.

Impotence following radiation therapy can be challenging. But today, modern technology is giving men back what many thought they had lost forever—a firm erection and a satisfying intimate relationship.

For more information about radiation therapy and other prostate cancer treatments, visit the Prostate Cancer Institute.