Life After Treatment

After treatment for prostate cancer, it is crucial that you give yourself time to heal. It’s also important to talk honestly with your partner, and not to be frustrated with changes in your sex life. Open communication is also important with your family and your provider.

Try to remain active doing things that you enjoy. It’s not unusual for some men to feel depressed after treatment, however this will usually improve after a few months. If it persists and is troubling, you should discuss it with your provider.

It may be helpful to have short-term and long-term goals, and to work toward them in a step-by-step manner. Relaxation and meditation can be a valuable way of releasing tension and anxiety and giving your body its best chance to recover. Dietary advice can also be important, so feel free to ask your provider for a referral to a nutritionist.

Follow-up care after treatment for prostate cancer is extremely important. Even when the cancer seems to have been completely removed or destroyed, the disease can sometimes return because undetected cancer cells remained somewhere in the body after treatment.

Your provider will monitor your recovery and check for recurrence of the cancer. Checkups will help ensure that any changes in your health are discovered and, if necessary, treated. Your checkups will often include a physical exam, a PSA test, and a Digital Rectal Exam or DRE. Between scheduled visits, you should feel free to contact your provider at any time if you have any health problems or concerns.