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| Side Effects of Radiation Therapy: Sexual Side Effects of Radiation Therapy in Men |
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Radiation therapy and erection: Radiation therapy to the pelvis can cause problems with erections by damaging the arteries that carry blood to the penis. The higher the dose of radiation and the wider the section of the pelvis irradiated, the greater the chance that an erection problem will develop.
As the area heals, scarring occurs and the walls of the arteries lose their elasticity. The walls can no longer expand enough to let blood speed in and create a firm erection. Radiation can also cause hardening of the arteries (arteriosclerosis), narrowing, or even blocking of the pelvic arteries.
Experts estimate that a quarter to a third of men who receive radiation notice a change for the worse in their erections. This change most often develops slowly over the first year or so after radiotherapy. Some men continue to have full erections but lose them before reaching climax. Others no longer get firm erections at all. Men who have high blood pressure or who have been heavy smokers seem to have a higher risk for these erection problems. This is because their arteries may already be mildly damaged.
Testosterone is a male hormone that plays an important role in erections. In a small group of men, production of testosterone slows down after pelvic radiation. The testicles, that produce testosterone, may have been affected either by a mild dose of scattered radiation or by the general stress of cancer treatment. Extra hormones may not be needed since the testosterone level will usually recover within 6 months of radiation therapy. However, if a man notices erection problems or a loss of desire after cancer treatment, the doctor may decide to have a blood test for testosterone. A man with prostate cancer should not take replacement testosterone since it can speed up the growth of prostate cancer cells.
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