Radiotherapy for prostate cancer

An immediate thus brief comment. In 2021, age 72/73, I did the HT for some weeks before 20 EBRT sessions over 28 days. Despite COPD I was reasonably active  -  cycling nearly every day, >5,000 miles p.a. since 2010. I continued cycling a min 10 miles per day every day of my 28 days. 

The 3 mthly HT injections continued for 2 years after the RT and I have continued to ride. Only just over 5K in 2025, worsening COPD and return of the PCa in July  -  taking up time rather than any physical impact (yet!).

See a fuller story via my Profile.

I cannot claim nil side effects, but ED, minor hot flushes etc all manageable. I bought 4 years at a very low cost! Fact that all gone wrong now partly bad luck, partly poor GP monitoring. I'd still rather have had RT than surgery  -  although that was not really an option because of age and COPD.

Maybe takes a bit more mental determination, but, with luck, skilled RT techs, reasonable starting fitness and .....more luck, can remain active.

Good luck, Dave.

If you have the same reactions as I did, it will slow you down for a short while, but you will be able to continue.

I had some very low level bleeding, and more fatigue.

The fatigue was not major, and I would have been able to continue my normal activities if I had not damaged my back at the same time.

As that wore off, there was still the fatigue which was a normal part of the hormone therapy and I cured with the occasional nap when I felt too tired or wanted to get out of the housework.

The main difference that the radiotherapy made was that my PSA levels fell to undetectable levels.

I wish the same for you.

Hi Parkrunner 

U don't say if you are on HT as well as Radiotherapy cos that could make a difference.

I had RT on its own and didn't have any major problems, perhaps minor urinary issues and constipation but they finished a couple of weeks after Rt was over.

Best wishes 

Steve 

I had 20 days of RT in March and it resulted in a minimum of 5 bathroom visits every night. I was given Tamsulosin to ease the problem and the side effects wore off in a couple of weeks.

Hello Parkrunner Everyone’s side-effects are different but the more common ones seem to be varying levels of fatigue starting in week 3 or 4, and maybe temporary and manageable slight changes to no1s and 2s. Nothing to worry about, just take it day-by-day. I am a similar age to yourself, my bio also has a bit more detail.

If you haven’t already read it there are some compiled pre-RT tips here: 

 community.macmillan.org.uk/.../what-do-you-wish-you-had-known-before-starting-radiotherapy

Hi Parkrunner , I was much less active that you are and four years older when I began my similar treatment.

My experience of the journey through RT was in my own words a 'walk in the park' I only noticed a little bowel disruption and some extra night visits to the loo during the 28 day period of the RT.
The ongoing effects of both, predominantly the HT have lasted much longer than most report but are eventually subsiding.

There is a somewhat protracted and boring diary of my journey in my profile which you can visit by clicking on my name or icon at the top of these comments.

As others have said, every patient is different so I'm afraid you will discover how your body (and mind) respond to everything as you progress through the journey but I wish you well and a problem free 2026. 

The main side effects I experienced and saw in others was difficulty urinating and blood/mucous in stools.

If you already have bladder problems radiation will tend to make these worse.

Blood/mucous in stools tends to get worse as you go through treatment. By the end of my radiation therapy I had quite noticeable bleeds when I had a bowel movement in the morning.

Most of this cleared quite quickly when the therapy finished.