In the United States, men newly diagnosed with prostate cancer are usually offered sugery or radiation. Here, medical oncologist, Mark Scholz, MD, explains how radiation has changed over the last 20 years and why he usually recommends radiation to most his patients who need radical treatment due to its favorable side effect profile which includes almost no risk of incontinence.

0:07 Can you provide a brief history of surgery versus radiation for prostate cancer?

3:03 Is it possible to get surgery after radiation?

4:47 How simple or difficult is it to resolve persistent incontinence, should it occur, after radical prostatectomy for prostate cancer?

6:07 What percent of men will have persistent side effects after surgery?

7:11 What percent of radiation patients will have persistent side effects?

8:39 What percent of radiation patients have erectile dysfunction?

11:09 Is surgery or radiation better for higher Gleason scores?

13:14 Can a person have radiation twice if it fails the first time?

13:30 Does radiation have delayed side effects? How does that work?

16:24 Why is surgery so frequently recommended if radiation is effective with a relatively favorable side effect profile in most men?

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