Dr. Shinohara on Radiation Therapy Considerations in Prostate Cancer

Eric Shinohara, MD, MSCI, associate professor and interim chair, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, discusses radiation therapy considerations for patients with prostate cancer.

When considering the types of radiation therapy options available for patients with prostate cancer, other health conditions and urinary function are often considered. Often times, other forms of radiation can be longer, taking 5 weeks or 9 weeks, and sometimes that can affect a patient's urination function a bit more. When speaking with a patient about the different types of radiation they could potentially receive, comorbidities and urinary function are factored into the decision, as well as the size of their prostate gland, concludes Shinohara.