Life during and after prostate cancer treatment

Eating well

Healthy food can help you cope with treatment and side effects. A dietitian can explain how to manage any special dietary needs or eating problems and choose the best foods for your situation.

Find out about nutrition for people living with cancer.

Staying active

Physical activity can reduce tiredness, improve circulation and lift mood. The right exercise for you depends on what you are used to, how you feel, and your doctor’s advice.

Find out more about exercise for people living with cancer.

Work and money

Cancer can change your financial situation, especially if you have extra medical expenses or need to stop working. Getting professional financial advice and talking to your employer can give you peace of mind. You can also check whether any financial assistance is available to you by asking a social worker at your hospital or treatment centre or calling Cancer Council 13 11 20.

Find out more about cancer and your finances.

Find out more about cancer and work.

Relationships

Having cancer can affect your relationships with family, friends and colleagues in many different ways. Cancer is stressful, tiring and upsetting, and this may strain your relationships. The experience of cancer may also result in positive changes to your values, priorities or outlook on life. Give yourself time to adjust to what’s happening, and do the same for those around you. It may help to discuss your feelings with each other. 

Find out more about emotions and cancer.

Sexuality

Cancer can affect your sex life in physical and emotional ways, depending on treatment and side effects, your self-confidence, and if you have a partner. Although sexual intercourse may not always be possible, closeness and sharing can still be part of your relationship.

Find out more about sexuality, intimacy and cancer.

Contraception and fertility

If you can have sex, you may need to use certain types of contraception to protect your partner or avoid pregnancy for a time. Your doctor will explain what precautions to take. They will also tell you if treatment will affect your fertility permanently or temporarily. If having children is important to you, discuss the options with your doctor before starting treatment.

Find out more about fertility and cancer.

Body image

Changes to your body can affect the way you feel about yourself (your self-esteem) and make you feel self-conscious. You may feel less confident about who you are and what you can do. Try not to focus on what has changed. Embrace what you feel positive about – including aspects of your personality, mind and body.

Complementary therapies

Complementary therapies are designed to be used alongside conventional medical treatments. Therapies such as massage, relaxation and acupuncture can decrease stress and anxiety, and improve mood. Let your doctor know about any therapies you are using or thinking about trying, as some may not be safe or evidence-based.

Find out more about complementary therapies.

Life after treatment

For most people, the cancer experience doesn’t end on the last day of treatment. Life after cancer treatment has its own challenges. You may have mixed feelings when treatment ends, and worry that every ache and pain means the cancer is coming back. Some people say that they feel pressure to return to “normal life”. It is important to allow yourself time to adjust to the physical and emotional changes, and establish a new daily routine at your own pace. Your family and friends may also need time to adjust. Cancer Council 13 11 20 can help you connect with other people who have had prostate cancer, and provide you with information about the emotional and practical aspects of living well after cancer.

Follow-up appointments

After treatment ends, you will have regular appointments to monitor your health, manage any long-term side effects, check that the cancer hasn’t come back, and discuss any concerns you have. During check-ups, you may have a physical examination, x-rays or scans, and a PSA test.

Depending on the type of treatment you had, PSA results will vary:

• After surgery, if it has been possible to remove all of the cancer, there should be no prostate cells left to make PSA antigen and your PSA level should drop quickly.
• After radiation therapy, your PSA level will drop gradually and it may take 2–3 years for your PSA to reach its lowest level.
• If you have ADT as well as radiation therapy, your PSA level will generally be very low while undergoing treatment.

The usefulness of the PSA test will vary. If you had localised prostate cancer, it can help find any cancer cells that come back. With advanced prostate cancer, particularly when the Gleason score or Grade Group is very high, the PSA test may be less useful. Your doctor will also consider your symptoms and other test results along with the PSA test results. These all help to build a picture of what is happening to the cancer that is more accurate and informative than the PSA test alone.

Talk to your doctor about how often you will need to have check-ups or a PSA test. Over time, if there are no further problems, you will have check-ups less frequently. If you notice any new symptoms between check-ups, you should let your GP or specialist know immediately. 

When a follow-up appointment or test is approaching, many people find that they think more about the cancer and may feel anxious. Talk to your treatment team or call Cancer Council 13 11 20 if you are finding it hard to manage this anxiety.

What if the cancer returns?

Sometimes prostate cancer does come back after treatment, which is known as a recurrence. If your PSA level starts to rise and the cancer has not spread beyond the prostate, this may mean you still have cancer cells in the prostate area. If this happens, you may be monitored with regular blood tests or you may be offered further treatment, which is known as salvage treatment.

Your options will depend on the treatment you had. If you had surgery, you may be offered radiation therapy. If you had radiation therapy, some people may be offered further radiation therapy, while others may have the option of surgery or other treatments. If the cancer has spread beyond the prostate, ADT is usually suggested and sometimes radiation therapy. Surgery may be an option in some cases. You may be offered palliative treatment to manage symptoms.

It is possible for the cancer to come back in another part of your body. In this case, you may have treatment that focuses on the area where the cancer has returned. Talk to your doctors about the options. You can also call Cancer Council 13 11 20 for more information.