Assessing and managing diarrhoea in patients with prostate cancer who undergo pelvic radiotherapy

Abstract

Many patients with prostate cancer undergo pelvic radiotherapy, which puts them at risk of radiation-associated side effects during treatment in the days and weeks after treatment, and in the long term. One of the common gastrointestinal symptoms experienced by patients with prostate cancer is diarrhoea, with effects ranging from mild and embarrassing to severe and life-threatening. Diarrhoea in patients with prostate cancer often occurs as a side effect of radiotherapy, but it can also be caused, or compounded, by other factors, including chemotherapy and immunotherapy, infection, concurrent disease, faecal impaction, medicines and diet. This article describes the assessment and initial and long-term management of diarrhoea following pelvic radiotherapy for prostate cancer.