| Pros: |
Cons: |
| A completely non-invasive option requiring no anesthesia or hospitalization |
There is one treatment per day, five days per week, for eight weeks |
| Painless |
Short term bowel irritation (diarrhea, loose stools, rectal urgency) is common |
| Newer techniques focus radiation beam more effectively reducing side effects and long term complications |
Long term (occurring one year or longer after treatment) side effects occasionally have significant effects on the bowel or bladder |
| A treatment, like surgery, that has been around for a long time, so long term effects are well known |
If cancer recurs after radiation, future treatment is more complicated, and surgical removal is usually not possible |