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“Transperineal TRUS-guided prostate brachytherapy using loose seeds versus RAPIDStrand; A dosimetric analysis”
Humberto M. Fagundes, Richard J. Keys, Mary F. Wojcik, Marsha A. Radden, Carol G. Bertelsman, William A. Cavanagh Brachytherapy 3 (2004) 136-140
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the differences between stranded and loose procedures of brachytherapy and their outcomes. After receiving a proven prostate biopsy, 473 patients were treated with brachytherapy between September 1998 and December 2003. With the use of a Mick applicator™ 337 (71%) procedures placed seeds freely in the cancerous region. The stranded or RAPIDStrand™ was introduced in April 2002 and implanted 136 (29%) patients. Data was collected from each procedure and analyzed dosimetrically (with a device measuring doses of radiations). The stranded approach resulted in greater V100 values (92.5%) than those for free seeds (89.3%). This study concluded that the RAPIDStrand™ technique demonstrates an advantage over the standard, free-seed method.
“The Use of Linked Seeds Eliminates Lung Embolization Following Permanent Seed Implantation for Prostate Cancer”
Basher Al-Qaisieh, M.S.C., Brendan Carey, F.R.C.R., Dan Ash, F.R.C.R., and David Bottomley, F.R.C.R. Int. J. Radiation Oncology Biol. Phys., Vol. 59, No. 2, pp. 397-399, 2004
There have been numerous reports of seed migration to the lungs after prostate brachytherapy. In an effort to reduce the risk of this happening in the future physicians at Cookridge Hospital in the United Kingdom have studied whether seed embolization to the lungs can be minimized with the use of stranded seeds alone for brachytherapy. Under this clinical trial 238 patients with early prostate cancer were treated between December 2001 and December 2002 with prostate brachytherapy implementing the stranded seed technique alone. During the prostate seed implant all patients had fluoroscopy and immediately following had radiographs of the pelvis. At an average of 55 days a sample of 100 patients had chest radiographs done. To make the seeds more visible, four prostate cancer free patients took part in this study. Since they were having routine chest radiographs for management of other cancers they allowed posteroanterior and lateral radiographs to be performed with inactive seeds attached to the skin of their thorax. After review it was revealed that in all 238 cases the number of seeds found on the preceding radiograph matched the number of seeds implanted. The results of this study concluded that with the use of stranded seeds (RAPIDStrand™) for prostate brachytherapy there is no evidence that seeds migrated to the lung.
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