Next to skin cancer, prostate cancer is the most common cancer among men, with more than 2,000,000 Americans in the ranks of prostate cancer survivors. Often, men who have gone through treatment for this common disease find that regaining a healthy penis can be a challenge. In such cases, maintaining optimal penis care is especially important. To help revitalize the penis after this health problem, men need to be prepared to take the necessary steps.
About the disease
The prostate is a gland that only men possess and which is found between the rectum and the bladder. It’s an important component in the manufacture of the fluid in semen.
When cancer develops in the prostate, it can cause discomfort and lead to serious issues; however, in some cases it is very slow to grow and many men may have prostate cancer for years without being aware of it.
There are many symptoms that may be associated with this condition, including a weak urine stream, frequent urination (especially at night), blood in the urine, erectile issues and loss of bladder control.
Treatment depends upon the stage of the disease but in some instances may include surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, hormone therapy or vaccine therapy.
Post-treatment
Depending upon the severity of the cancer and the treatment used, a man may experience significant issues post-treatment, especially when surgery is involved. Although advances in surgery have diminished the impact on sexual performance, many men will still experience some degree of erectile dysfunction after many forms of treatment.
Most doctors recommend that men undergo some form of therapy to help regain the use of a healthy penis after prostate cancer. In some cases, it is necessary to induce erections in situations in which there has been erectile loss, especially if that loss is projected to sustain for an extended period of time.
Induction may be needed
The reason for inducing is to keep the penis in shape so that it can “re-learn” how to become erect. “Use it or lose it” is especially true with the penis, and if the organ goes for too long a time without an erection, the vessels and tissues become deoxygenated relative to when in an erect state. This creates a vicious cycle in which the tissue becomes less and less capable on its own of trapping the blood that is needed to build and maintain an erection.
Typical therapy comes in one or more of three forms: oral, injection and vacuum.
Oral therapy involves taking a medication by mouth which helps to promote erectile activity. Many doctors recommend this therapy be started before treatment for the cancer and continue afterward for a month or more.
Injection therapy requires the injection of drugs which help the penile blood vessels to expand.
Vacuum therapy is performed via a penis pump, which creates a “vacuum” around the organ that encourages the flow and trapping of blood in the member.