Ask An Expert: Radiation Damage to Bladder

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Ask An Expert: Radiation Damage to Bladder

Question:

Can radiation treatments for prostate cancer damage the bladder, causing it to bleed 10 years after the radiation?

Answer:

Yes, blood in the urine could be caused by prior prostate radiation received many years earlier.

There are two types of radiation therapy for prostate cancer:

• Implantation of radioactive seeds into the prostate (brachytherapy)

• Radiation delivered from outside the body (external beam radiation).

Both therapies can damage the tissues surrounding the prostate, including the bladder and rectum.

Radiation therapy by either method can cause a range of bladder problems, including:

• Blood in the urine that does not cause any symptoms (asymptomatic hematuria)

• Mild irritation of the bladder lining with more frequent and sometimes painful urination (cystitis)

• Severe irritation of the bladder lining with a lot of visible bleeding.

These problems usually occur in the first few years after radiation, but can occur later, even after 10 years.

Any blood in the urine should be evaluated by your doctor, who may request that you consult with a urologist. It is important to look for other potential causes of hematuria and not to immediately blame the prior radiation. Examples of other causes of hematuria are urinary tract infection, a kidney or bladder stone, and bladder cancer.

Richard Lee, M.D., is a clinical fellow of pediatric urology and a research associate at Children's Hospital Boston. He is a member of the Department of Urology at Children's Hospital Boston.

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Last updated:	January 24, 2007