What's daily life like during external beam radiation for prostate cancer?

Many people find that EBRT treatments become part of their routine fairly quickly - the actual radiation sessions are typically brief, though the daily schedule can feel tiring over several weeks. Community members often share valuable insights about managing side effects and practical tips for the treatment period, so hopefully others who've been through this journey will chime in with their experiences to help guide your decision-making process.

Hello Samuel, I am undergoing radiation treatment now I am on my third week of a six week treatment and so far I experience fatigue, a little diarrhea and burning sensation. While urinating, but they can give you something for that The hardest part for me is going there every day. But I have my routine down packed now so these last three weeks should be a breeze, and oh yeah one other thing that’s hard for me to do is that you have to have a full bladder during the process

I did 20 IMRT sessions and I thought it was easy. Some burning during urination bot AZO helped. Fatigue was the biggest side effect but it was not bad.

G'afternoon Samuel, Thank you for bringing this up!..I too have the same circumstances (localized prostate) and not sure of the direction to go...Radiation vs Surgery/Removal. I also have the same concerns regarding "long-term" side affects, particularly to what degree does Radiation affect other healthy tissues..i.e. bladder, rectal, etc...and does this form of treatment cause long-term diarrhea and to what level..

I’m on my 2nd week of IMRT sessions. Fatigued is my only side affect so far.. My questions to all is that I’m scheduled to do 45 sessions, I noticed that Thomas only had 20 sessions. Is it possible that they may also shorten my sessions? Also, I was told by Radiation team that they are not targeting the cancer cell instead targeting the whole prostate..Has anyone been told this also?

Cisco; you likely have different circumstances than Thomas; be sure you have the gel inserted to protect your good tissues; likely you will. Best of luck to you. I am in the process of getting teed up for a similar session regime as Thomas.

Hello Samuel I am on my 3rd week of EBRT treatment and have 40 treatments in total. So far no side effects but getting up early to prepare for my 8.30am appointment is the biggest issue for me. Preparing means having an empty bowel and full bladder before getting on the table. I would say that once you are in your routine stay positive and try to go about your daily activities as before and just look at it as a necessary thing that you have to do and look forward to the day when you finish the treatment. I pick out and wear a different rock concert tee shirt every day for my treatment which helps me focus on what I enjoy in life. Wish you all the best and I am happy to answer any questions you want answering.

I underwent that treatment a little over a year and was, thus far, successful. I too had the option of surgery or radiation and chose the latter. It is a personal choice based on lifestyle and sideffects from both. I had a 5 day treatment session and was a little tired but certainly doable. Being in the machine for an hour or so was challenging but I was able to handle. Some folks chose the 45 day treatment because it is only 10-15 minutes in the machine. Hope this helps.

Gave me an over active bladder, nocturia. Getting up every hour to pee. Explained to Doctor they had a pill for that.