Urinary and Bladder Changes due to Radiation Therapy

Radiation therapy can cause urinary and bladder problems, which can include:

• Burning or pain when urinating or after emptying the bladder
• Trouble starting to urinate
• Trouble emptying the bladder
• Frequent, urgent need to urinate
• Cystitis, a swelling (inflammation) in the urinary tract
• Incontinence, when the patient cannot control the flow of urine from the bladder, especially when coughing or sneezing
• Frequent need to get up during sleep to urinate
• Blood in the urine
• Bladder spasms, which are like painful muscle cramps

Urinary and bladder problems may occur when people get radiation therapy to the prostate or bladder. Radiation therapy can harm the healthy cells of the bladder wall and urinary tract, which can cause inflammation, ulcers, and infection.

Urinary and bladder problems often start 3 to 5 weeks after radiation therapy begins. Most problems go away 2 to 8 weeks after treatment is over.