If the therapeutic decision is to perform an active treatment (as opposed to observation and medical control), the patients should be appropriately informed of the scope and potential adverse effects of the treatment, and should take part in this decision. The undesirable effects include irritative or obstructive symptoms in up to 50% of the cases and 1-14% of acute urinary retention. Long term consequences are infrequent (< 5%), including incontinence, cystitis, proctitis and urethral narrowing. Sexual potency 2 or 3 years after the procedure is maintained in 86-96% of the patients. Global morbidity would be somewhat lower than for external radiotherapy or radical prostatectomy.