Hi everyone,
My dad is currently going through radiotherapy alongside hormone therapy for prostate cancer (Gleason 7 – 4+3, around 60% pattern 4 and 40% pattern 3, staged T2c with a risk of T3a). He’s about 7 sessions into radiotherapy now.
He has always had a bit of a sensitive/reactive bowel, but since starting hormone therapy it seems to have become more noticeable, with quite severe urgency — especially after meals. Since starting radiotherapy, this has worsened, and he’s now going around 5–6 times a day.
Last night and again today, he noticed some bright red blood when going to the toilet. Naturally, we’re worried it could be something more sinister. We will be mentioning it to the team at his treatment, but I just wanted to ask if anyone else has experienced similar symptoms during hormone therapy and radiotherapy? Is this something that can be normal with treatment?
Any advice or shared experiences would be really appreciated.
Hello Concerneddaughter
Thank you for your post - this is an issue your dad needs to bring to the attention of his radiotherapy team tomorrow before the next fraction of his treatment.
Bleeding from the rectum is common in 5/10% of people having radiotherapy to the prostate and usually clears up 2/3 weeks after the treatment ends.
Best wishes - Brian.
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