Radiation Proctitis - comments from those that have been diagnosed with chronic (>6 months post radiation).

[JRPnSD]

20 months following the end of my salvage radiation, I have been experiencing blood spotting after bowel movements and a preliminary dx indicates Radiation Proctitis may be the cause. This is disheartening given radiation was 20 months ago and I had no problems during or immediately after. Being sent to a GI Specialist for evaluation. Anyone been through this....have any comments that might be helpful? Does this increase the risk of colon cancer?

[Lyubov]

My husband developed radiation cystitis (urethra, bladder neck. . .) damage from IMRT treatments in 2016. It's now dx as "hemorraghic cystitis" and he may start hyperbaric oxygen treatments in effort to heal the wound(s).

[Tall_Allen]

Late term radiation proctitis occurs in about 2%. Unusual that it didn't occur acutely too. Probably due to hemorrhoids bleeding. If so, a proctologist can get rid of the hemorrhoids.

[JRPnSD in reply to Tall_Allen]

Endoscope confirmed no hemorrhoids. Visual was consistent with Radiation Proctitis.

[John438]

Ok, I really don’t want to upset anyone but radiation has not kind to me. As members of my Prostate group can confirm I am the poster boy for bad radiation results. In 2015 I had 45 radiation treatments, about 6 months later I started having problems with blood in my stools caused by radiation proctitis. After 2 years of pain and various methods of treatment including hyperbaric treatments I just couldn’t take the pain anymore so I had a colostomy. That was ok for about 2 years and then I started having blood and blood clots in my urine due to radiation cystitis. And again many procedures later I now have 2 nephrostomy tubes and bag on each leg due to continued blood clots and possible kidney damage. As I said before I am not trying to upset anyone it’s just what has happened to me. And my doctors have said they have never seen a reaction like this from radiation.

[JRPnSD in reply to John438]

Sorry to hear of your journey. Wishing you an easier path ahead.

[Jancapper]

Sorry for your suffering.

[Irun]

I had 6 blasts of RT even though I had advanced pca. Rare 7!years ago but more common pathway now (in the UK). About 8 months later I started big bottom bleeds , like a cup full at a time . I spent the next year having to put suppositories where the sun don’t shine twice a day and that made no difference to the bleeding but did make me lose even more dignity .

Eventually saw a specialist who lazered about 60 fissures in my bowel / colon area . He said that it was like having a permenant grazed knee, every time I went to the toiled I knocked all the scabs off and that caused a bleed . The procedure was not painful but I did start feeling hot inside towards the end . Anyway , stopped it almost straight away and 7!years on all still good .

[Grandpa4]

I have had sacral insufficiency fractures from radiation and I am only 6 months out. It is a scary problem for me because I love physical activity. Fortunately, I am a cyclist but I miss pickelball.

[keepinon]

I had some bright red blood with bowel movements about a year after SRT.It took 2 colonoscopys, where the doc zapped the raw spots with a laser, to eliminate the bleeding. Not fun, but 2+ years later, no more bleeding.

[tango65]

This is a review of radiation proctitis evaluation, treatment etc.

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articl...