Long term side effects of treatment choices

How to use this table:
Read across to compare treatments.
Read down to learn how often side effects for each treatment happen.

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For the first 3 months after treatment many more men have impotence, incontinence, painful or frequent urination, and diarrhea as temporary side effects.

A 2005 study compared the side effects and long term quality of life 6 years following treatment for prostate cancer with the same ones found 2 1/2 years after treatment. It showed that although the side effects of surgery appeared right away and then stabilized, the side effects of radiation and brachytherapy tended to change over time.

The numbers used in the table above come from many doctors, patients, and published articles. They are averages for patients of all ages. In general, younger patients may have fewer problems from treatment.

* Rare means less than 1 in 100.