Radiation Cystitis

[SooHwa99]

I finished radiation February 2020 (Never undetectable post op) after prostatectomy April 1st 2019. I started noted some blood in my urine in late January. Multiple UA's showed blood in the urine. Had a cystoscopy this week with showed cystitis. Urine culture all negative. Negative for high-grade urothelial carcinoma. There was one spot that was red and irritated. My question is in addition to usually treatments is there any other things one can to so as to mitigate progression or worsening of this situation. Also how frequently does radiation cystitis progress to actual bladder cancer? How often should one have a cystoscopy?

[Tall_Allen]

It might heal on its own if you leave it alone and don't have further cystos. It doesn't become bladder cancer.

[beachguy43]

I am 15 years post IMRT. Had a pretty severe and messy gross hematuria which resolved with hydration around Christmas last year. Cystoscopy showed a mass which was removed earlier this week. Biopsy was positive for cancer but confined to tumor with no involvement of bladder wall so no further action other than repeat cystoscopy in three months. First cystoscopy showed signs of radiation cystitis but not related to mass. Urology surgeon said tumor could be a long term SE of the radiation I received 15 years ago. My reason for responding to your question is that in my case the radiation cystitis did not evolve into bladder cancer. The two things are independent of each other.

[Miket218]

I had my RP 4 1/2 years ago. Two years or so later I experienced a significant amount of blood in my urine. Naturally, I assumed the worst. I had a cystoscope done and my urologist found that I have radiation cystitis. He told me it could resolve within a week or it could persist for the rest of my life. He told me not to be particularly concerned about it unless it got much worse. I have gone for as long as three months at a time with no bleeding at all. At times I will bleed two or three times in one week period. Fortunately, I don’t get so stopped up that I have to be catheterized. Sometimes I squirt out a blob of congealed blood and sometimes it flows freely when I urinate.My urologist said that it would not turn into bladder cancer.

I have read that spicy foods, including just tomatoes alone, can irritate the bladder. I can say that I have seen a correlation between say, eating pizza, and having an episode. Although, it doesn’t happen on a one-to-one basis.

[j-o-h-n in reply to Miket218]

No pizza? Oh shit!!!

Good Luck, Good Health and Good Humor.

j-o-h-n Saturday 03/12/2022 3:32 PM EST

[Fightinghard]

You might want to look into Hyperbaric oxygen therapy. There are studies out there reporting that it could help with cystitis

Good luck!!

.

[SooHwa99 in reply to Fightinghard]

I will. Thank you very kindly!