Occasionally, normal bowel function does not return after treatment is stopped. Radiation therapy may also cause a feeling of fatigue which may persist until a month or two after treatment stops. Impotence usually does not occur right after radiation therapy but gradually develops over one or more years. Brachytherapy may also result in impotence, urinary incontinence, and bowel problems. Some men have hot flashes after surgery but these may go away with time.
Some men also have breast tenderness and growth of breast tissue.
Side effects of LHRH analogs are the same as with an orchiectomy, and include reduced or absent sexual desire and impotence, and hot flashes. Some men also have breast tenderness and growth of breast tissue. These side effects occur about as commonly as after orchiectomy. Side effects of antiandrogens in patients already treated by orchiectomy or with LHRH agonists are usually not serious or common, but may include nausea, diarrhea, and tiredness. The side effects of chemotherapy depend on the type of drugs, the amount taken, and the length of treatment.