Resolving healthcare, fitness and well-being issues
Medicines
The side effects of radiotherapy
Jul 8th
In men, temporary impotence (the inability to get an erection) and loss of interest in sex are common side effects of radiotherapy. This is often caused by feeling tired after radiotherapy and being anxious about the treatment or illness. Radiotherapy to the pelvic area can cause temporary impotence by affecting the nerves in and around your penis. Most other radiotherapy treatments will not make you infertile or cause any problems if you decide to have children in the future.
How radiotherapy is performed
Jul 7th
First, a patient has to be prepared so that they can lie in the same position for treatment. Usually, a patient has a scan in the treatment position and the doctor outlines the tumour target to be treated and also identifies the body organs to avoid (the kidneys or liver, for example). When treatment starts there are a lot of checks.
Radiotherapy
Jul 6th
Radiotherapy is largely used to treat and control many different types of cancer. It can shrink a cancerous tumour (abnormal cell growth) before it is surgically removed. The aim of radiotherapy is to kill the cancerous cells in the affected area of the body. However, there are some benign conditions that can be treated, such as thyroid disease or bone formation around a hip replacement
