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Prostate Cancer
Treatment Guide™

Treatment
Description
Prostate Cancer
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Prostate Cancer
Treatments
Prostate Cancer
Survival Rates
Prostate Cancer
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Brachytherapy

Prostate Brachytherapy

Minimally invasive radiation therapy implants low or high dose radiation (LDR or HDR) seeds in the prostate. Prostate Brachytherapy

Minimally invasive radiation therapy implants low or high dose radiation (LDR or HDR) seeds in the prostate.

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Prostate Seed Implant

Brachytherapy seeds are more effective for younger patients in good health with localized prostate cancer. Prostate Seed Implant

Brachytherapy seeds are more effective for younger patients in good health with localized prostate cancer.

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Prostate Seed Implant

Minimally invasive surgery lasts 1-2 hours with a possible overnight stay; most return to normal activities in a few days. Prostate Seed Implant

Minimally invasive surgery lasts 1-2 hours with a possible overnight stay; most return to normal activities in a few days.

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Brachytherapy
Survival Rates

Multiple long-term brachytherapy studies have found recurrence-free survival rates of 77 to 93%. Brachytherapy
Survival Rates

Multiple long-term brachytherapy studies have found recurrence-free survival rates of 77 to 93%.

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Brachytherapy
Side Effects

Possible bleeding at the minimally invasive site, blood in the urine, scrotal burning, incontinence, or impotence. Brachytherapy
Side Effects

Possible bleeding at the minimally invasive site, blood in the urine, scrotal burning, incontinence, or impotence.

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Prostate News

Click here for the latest news on brachytherapy.Prostate News

Click here for the latest news on brachytherapy.

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Brachytherapy
Videos

Click here to view brachytherapy procedures. Brachytherapy
Videos

Click here to view brachytherapy procedures.

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Brachytherapy
Experienc
e

Click here to share your brachytherapy experiences.Brachytherapy
Experience

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Chemotherapy

Cryosurgery &
Cryotherapy

Hormone
Therapy

Radiation
Therapy

Prostatectomy

Robotic Prostatectomy

Watchful
Waiting

Complementary
and
Alternative Medicine

High Intensity
Focused
Ultrasound (HIFU)

Emerging Technologies

 

Prostate Cancer Information:
Brachytherapy Treatment

Brachytherapy is a radiation therapy that can be used as a prostate cancer treatment. Sometimes referred to as interstitial radiation therapy, seed therapy, or seed treatment, prostate brachytherapy is capable of delivering high and concentrated doses of radiation to the prostate gland.

Radiation’s Role in the Treatment of Prostate Cancer
There are two types of prostate cancer radiation treatments: external and internal which is also called interstitial. Brachytherapy is interstitial, meaning treatment is administered from “within the tissue.” External radiation therapy involves the projection of photon, neutron, or proton beams into the prostate gland from a remote tool called the linear accelerator.

Radiation is used in the treatment of prostate cancer because exposure to radiation damages the DNA of cells. Cells will not be damaged unless they attempt to divide. Cancerous cells divide more quickly than healthy cells. Therefore, healthy cells are able to repair damage before undergoing mitosis, while cancerous cells are not. Unfortunately, if the dose is strong enough, healthy cells will be damaged to the point where they cannot repair themselves before division. Interstitial brachytherapy is able to deliver higher doses of radiation to an area concentrated within the prostate gland

The History of Brachytherapy
The word ‘brachy’ is of Greek origin and means ‘close’ or ‘short-distance.’ Prostate cancer brachytherapy literally means ‘therapy that is administered from a short distance away.’ The concept of treating prostate cancer through internal radiation therapy has been around since the early 20th century. In the first half of the 20th century, as many as 15 techniques were used involving the insertion of radiation into the prostate gland. The success of these treatments was limited.

In the 1960’s, the permanent insertion of radioactive material into the prostate gland was tried again. Two doctors tried the interstitial insertion of gold-198 into the prostate gland in conjunction with EBRT. Another center used Iodine –125 seeds to irradiate the prostate through an incision. Unfortunately, the success of these techniques was poor due to the inability to see the prostate gland and the surrounding organs. Not until around 1980, when doctors began to use a transperineal needle template, transperineal needles, and the transrectal ultrasound, did brachytherapy become a viable prostate cancer treatment.

Types of Prostate Brachytherapy
There are two types of brachytherapy that are used in the treatment of prostate cancer: permanent low dose radiation (LDR) and temporary high dose radiation (HDR). LDR brachytherapy uses iodine-125 and palladium-103 stored in titanium cases usually referred to as brachytherapy seeds. As the name permanent brachytherapy suggest, the seeds are permanently left inside the prostate gland. Over the course of their radioactive lives, the seeds will continuously emit low levels of radiation.

HDR brachytherapy uses a single radioactive seed made of iridium-194 which is sometimes referred to as an iridium wire. Soft flexible plastic catheters are inserted through the perineum and into the prostate gland. HDR brachytherapy entails an overnight stay in the hospital during which a patient undergoes two or three treatments with the wire through each catheter.

 
 
 

 
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