Approximately 14 percent of men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer at some point in their lifetimes, according to the National Institutes of Health. Radiation therapy traditionally has been a primary treatment for the cancer, but one-fourth of men have a recurrence of prostate cancer within five years after the therapy. Now, a University of Missouri School of Medicine researcher has found that a complex procedure to remove the prostate achieves excellent long-term survival for men after radiation therapy has failed.
Source: Surgery improves survival rates for men with prostate cancer if radiation treatments fail
Men are often told that surgery can not be performed after radiation therapy. This article shows how men can have surgery for prostate cancer after failed radiation therapy.
I have performed many davinci robotic prostatectomies after failed therapies. Due to the effects of the radiation on the tissue surrounding the prostate, the risks of salvage surgery is much higher than surgery done as the original treatment. The biggest change is that the risk of life long incontinence goes up significantly.
I have also performed salvage robotic prostate surgery for failed HIFU and cryosurgery patients.