What Are The Side Effects Of Radiation Therapy?

Incontinence

Incontinence occurs when an individual has difficulties with controlling their bladder. The bladder is a muscular organ that holds urine produced by the kidneys until it is ready to be excreted from the body. This adverse side effect develops when patients have radiation therapy in their lower abdominal or pelvic region. Incontinence is reported most often in men who undergo radiation therapy to treat their prostate malignancy. Radiation beams can cause damage to the healthy cells that line an individual's urethra, the tube that urine uses to move from the bladder to the outside of the body. When these cells become damaged, the immune response causes inflammation in the patient's urethra. Urethral inflammation can cause an individual to leak urine unintentionally and have to urinate more frequently. Radiation beams can also hit the cells that line the inside of the bladder, and cause damage and inflammation in those tissues. Bladder lining inflammation can cause involuntary contractions of the bladder muscles.

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