Prostate cancer is the most common malignancy and the second leading cause of cancer-related death in men. Radiotherapy is a curative option that is administered via external beam radiation, brachytherapy, or in combination. Erectile, ejaculatory and orgasm dysfunction(s) is/are known potential and common toxicities associated with prostate radiotherapy. Our multidisciplinary team of physicians and/or scientists have written a three (3) part comprehensive review of the pathogenesis and management radiation-induced sexual dysfunction. Part I reviews pertinent anatomy associated with normal sexual function and then considers the pathogenesis of prostate radiation-induced sexual toxicities. Next, our team considers the associated radiobiological (including the effects of time, dose and fractionation) and physical (treatment planning and defining a novel Organ at Risk (OAR)) components that should be minded in the context of safe radiation treatment planning. The authors identify an OAR (i.e., the prostatic plexus) and provide suggestions on how to minimize injury to said OAR during the radiation treatment planning process.
Reports of practical oncology and radiotherapy : journal of Greatpoland Cancer Center in Poznan and Polish Society of Radiation Oncology. 2020 Mar 19 [Epub]
Marigdalia K Ramirez-Fort, Marc J Rogers, Roberto Santiago, Sean S Mahase, Melissa Mendez, Yi Zheng, Xiang Kong, James A Kashanian, M Junaid Niaz, Shearwood McClelland, Xiaodong Wu, Neil H Bander, Peter Schlegel, John P Mulhall, Christopher S Lange
Life Sciences, BioFort Corp. Guaynabo, PR, United States., Urology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, United States., Radiation Oncology, Auxilio Mutuo, San Juan, PR, United States., Radiation Oncology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, United States., Neurology, SleepNet Neurology and Sleep Center, Bayamon, PR, United States., Physics, JFK Comprehensive Cancer Institute, Lake Worth, FL, United States., Urology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, United States., Radiation Oncology, Indiana University, Indianapolis, IN, United States., Sexual and Reproductive Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, United States.