Skip to main content
. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2015 Jan 5.
Published in final edited form as: J Natl Med Assoc. 2011 Jun;103(6):468–478. doi: 10.1016/s0027-9684(15)30359-x

Table 3.

Men’s Perceptions Regarding Radiation (External Radiation and Brachytherapy)

Reasons Why Chosen Reasons Why Not Chosen

  • As good as surgery to cure cancer

  • Less invasive

  • Fewer side effects

  • New technology, more precise

  • Can continue working during treatment

  • Quick, convenient, and less disruption with job (seeds)

  • Seeds have same cure rate as external radiation and surgery, but more precise

  • Avoid surgery

  • Doctor recommended it

  • Friend(s) who went through it had good results

  • Broader indication (eg, aggressive tumor, poor health)

  • Not as good as surgery to cure cancer

  • Unsure if cancer completely gone

  • May not be able to have surgery if cancer recurs

  • Worry about side effects: unpredictability, nausea, hair loss, rectal side effects

  • More side effects than surgery

  • Treatment length too long (external)

  • Inconvenience (external)

  • Doctor did not recommend it

  • Previous bad radiation experience (self or others)

  • Not comfortable having radioactive seeds inside body