Radiation therapy is commonly used in the treatment of prostate cancer, but it is a carcinogen itself. Five years ago before my radiation no one told me about the risk of radiation-associated rectal cancer (RARC) . Those of us who have had EBRT have an additional problem in treatment if we get rectal cancer because if the area with the new cancer which will likely have been radiated previously, limiting the new treatment options. Many of us that had EBRT may have already developed radiation proctitis after pelvic radiotherapy which makes diagnosing RARC even more difficult. The risk factor for colorectal cancer is definitely higher than the general population and more frequent surveillance is suggested. Endoscopy with biopsy still remains the gold standard for diagnosing rectal cancer. I wonder if anyone here has had a colon/rectal issue associated with radiation and how you dealt with it.
