

The actual radiation treatment only takes a few minutes. Administered five days a week over several weeksĮach treatment session usually lasts less than an hour.The linear accelerator delivers the precise dose of radiation planned by your treatment team.Įxternal beam radiation therapy is typically: As you lie on a table, the linear accelerator moves around you to deliver radiation from many angles. What you can expectĮxternal beam radiation for prostate cancer is conducted using a linear accelerator - a machine that directs high-energy beams of radiation into your body. Your radiation therapy team may perform computerized tomography (CT) scans to determine the exact area of your body to be treated.Īfter the planning process, your radiation therapy team decides what type of radiation and what dose you'll receive based on your stage of cancer, your general health and the goals for your treatment. Your radiation therapy team will make marks on your body to be used for setup during your radiation therapy sessions. It's crucial that you lie still during radiation treatment, so finding a comfortable position is vital.Ĭustomized immobilization devices are used to help you hold still in the right position. During simulation, your radiation therapy team works with you to find a comfortable position for you during treatment. How you prepareīefore you undergo external beam radiation therapy for prostate cancer, your health care team guides you through a planning process to ensure that radiation reaches the precise spot in your body where it's needed. Ask your doctor about potential side effects, both short- and long-term, that may occur during and after your treatment. Some side effects may develop months to years later. Most of the side effects are mild and tolerable. Secondary cancers in the region of the radiation.Sexual dysfunction, including diminished erectile function or decrease in the volume of semen.Potential side effects of external beam radiation therapy for prostate cancer may include: Most side effects are temporary, can be controlled and generally improve over time once treatment has ended. Speak with your podiatrist to learn more about getting rid of your toenail fungus.The type and severity of side effects you have with external beam radiation for prostate cancer may depend on the dose and on the amount of healthy tissue that's exposed to the radiation. The number of treatments it will take to cure the fungal infection varies by patient and type of laser. Laser toenail fungus treatments are now used all over the world and can be performed by a podiatrist in-office. While the fungus has been killed, the nail will have to grow out in order to see the effect of the treatment. After the procedure, the appearance of the nail will not have changed.

This is a virtually pain-free procedure that generally takes less than 30 minutes, though it could take longer depending on how many nails are infected. The podiatrist will move the laser in a grid-like pattern over the infected toenail. The treatment itself is non-invasive and very straightforward. The laser kills the fungus in and under the nail, ridding it of the infection. This was the first of the "cold laser" treatments to gain federal approval. However, in late 2010 the FDA approved the PinPointe FootLaser. From foot soaks to ointments the efficacy of these is extremely varied, at best. Toenail fungus is notoriously difficult to cure with over-the-counter medicines. The white spots you notice on your nail are displaced keratin that has begun to build up.

The growing fungus separates the layers of keratin in the toenail, which leads to the characteristic distorted look. As the infection progresses, the nail may thicken, become brittle, discolored, or misshapen.

Ridges will typically start to form and the nail will seem rougher to the touch. Initially, toenail fungus may present itself as white spots on the nail or black spots underneath. Nearly 3 million cases appear every year in the United States. Toenail fungus, medically known as onychomycosis or tinea unguium, is a very common infection of the nail. Fungal Toenails Treatment in Port Charlotte, FL
