Prostate cancer 'damages sex life'

More than 40,000 British men have been diagnosed London - Arabstoday Around 160,000 men in the UK have been left with little or no sex life after treatment for prostate cancer, the Macmillan Cancer Support charity says. It suggested rising cancer rates meant cases could more than double by 2030. Erectile dysfunction is a potential side-effect of surgery, radiotherapy and hormone therapy used to treat the condition. More than 40,000 men are diagnosed with prostate cancer in the UK each year. In some there may be permanent nerve damage, meaning they cannot maintain an erection. In others the physical problem can be temporary while for some the treatment has led to a psychological barrier to sex. Two in three prostate cancer patients say they are unable to get an erection. Macmillan said men also needed to feel they could seek help when they were having problems with sex after their treatment. Dr Daria Bonanno, a consultant clinical psychologist funded by the charity, said: "For many men with prostate cancer there is a certain stigma attached to talking about erectile dysfunction. "Many may feel a sense of loss of masculinity and sadness around the inability to sustain an erection and will be reluctant to seek support. "This can often cause them to emotionally isolate themselves from their partners and could make the issues worse."