this article is not new but a little over 2 years old.  we've had a lot
of new members and maybe they had RT......

~ curtis

===============

Viagra Effective Over Long Term For Prostate Cancer Patients Receiving
Radiation Therapy

PSA Rising Oct 20, 2003 /ASTRO/ — Viagra effectively treats erectile
dysfunction for years after prostate cancer patients receive radiation
therapy, according to the first study to look at the effectiveness of
the medication in a large number of patients over an extended time
period. Four years after undergoing 3-dimensional conformal radiotherapy
(3D-CRT) and brachytherapy for prostate cancer, the medication
successfully treated ED in seventy-five percent of patients.
The new study was presented today at the American Society for
Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology's Annual Meeting here.
"Other studies have reported on the initial effectiveness of Viagra for
prostate cancer patients receiving radiation therapy, but there was
scant information on the continued use and effectiveness of the
medication for longer periods of time," said senior author Michael J.
Zelefsky, M.D., Chief of Brachytherapy at New York's Memorial
Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.
The results of the study led by researcher Jianfeng Xu, Ph.D. will be
published today in the British Journal of Cancer.
From 1998 to 2002, the trial followed 363 prostate cancer patients at
Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center who received 3D-CRT and
brachytherapy. The patients had normal erectile function before therapy,
and all experienced some degree of ED after treatment.
Among patients who reported success with the drug after the initial
trial, 96 percent continued to use and find the medication effective.
Higher external beam radiation doses were associated with decreased
efficacy of Viagra.
"The good news for men facing therapy for prostate cancer is that Viagra
does not seem to lose its effectiveness over time," Dr. Zelefsky
concluded. "As more younger patients opt for non-surgical approaches, ED
is obviously an important issue."
The paper delivered at ASTRO was called "Prognostic Factors for
Maintained Efficacy of Sildenafil Citrate in the Management of Erectile
Dysfunction"  
The American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology is the
largest radiation oncology society in the world, with 7000 members who
specialize in treating patients with radiation therapies. As a leading
organization in radiation oncology, biology and physics, the Society's
mission is to advance the practice of radiation oncology by promoting
excellence in patient care, providing opportunities for educational and
professional development, promoting research and disseminating research
results and representing radiation oncology in a rapidly evolving
socioeconomic healthcare environment.
Source: ASTRO.

knowledge is power - growing old is mandatory - growing wise is optional    
"Many more men die with prostate cancer than of it. Growing old is
invariably fatal. Prostate cancer is only sometimes so."
http://community.webtv.net/PALMER_ENT/doc