Prostate cancer affects almost one in seven men at some point during their lifetime. In fact, it is one of the most commonly diagnosed cancers in the United States today. Fortunately, there are many options available to men facing prostate cancer diagnoses. Treatment options range from radiation and surgery to no treatment, also known as watchful waiting. When choosing a treatment option, one must consider the treatment side effects versus the prostate cancer side effects that would be felt without treatment.

One of the most common treatment plans for prostate cancer is watchful waiting, where a man's physician monitors the cancerous growth regularly to make sure it's not spreading. If you choose watchful waiting, you should be aware of the prostate cancer side effects you may experience. The common prostate cancer side effects include weak or interrupted urine flow, difficulty or inability to urinate, blood in the urine and/or semen, and pain in the back, hips and/or pelvis. Prostate cancer prognosis based on watchful waiting really varies based on the growth rate and size of the cancer. While prostate cancer is generally slow growing, it does double approximately every two years, so given enough time, it can spread and eventually be fatal.

These prostate cancer side effects must then be weighed against the side effects related to each treatment option. One of the most common treatments for early prostate cancer is radical prostatectomy, or removal of the prostate. The side effects of prostate removal include incontinence and impotency. Incontinence generally affects about 10% of patients, whereas impotency affects between 25% and 60% of men, depending on the type of surgery used. However, prostate cancer prognosis after 10 years shows 90% of patients survive and have no progression of the cancer.

Another common prostate cancer treatment, radiation therapy, also carries side effects. The prostate cancer side effects from radiation treatment include incontinence, bowel irritation, skin irritation and impotency. The incontinence, bowel irritation and skin irritation usually clear in the months following the radiation treatment. Conversely, up to 80% of men treated by radiation will experience impotency within a year after treatment, though not necessarily during treatment. As far as prostate cancer prognosis, after 10 years, about 85% of patients survive and have no progression of the cancer. 

For some patients, facing impotency and incontinence are not acceptable as compared to the prostate cancer side effects that may be experienced without treatment. This is especially true with older patients, whose life expectancies are often less than the expected course of disease metastisis. However, for younger patients, the potential side effects of treatment are acceptable given the high success rates and long-term survival rates. When it comes to making a final decision, only you and your doctor can decide which treatment is best for your specific case.