Low Dose Brachytherapy

Low Dose Brachytherapy

Prostate seed implants, also referred to as brachytherapy or internal radiation therapy, is a particularly suitable radiotherapy option for patients diagnosed with early state prostate cancer, where the disease is primarily localized within the prostate. The use for radioactive seed implants for prostate is not new, and has long held promise for delivering a high dose of radiation to the prostate while simultaneously reducing the amount of radiation to adjacent organs such as the bladder and the rectum./p>
How prostate seed implants work

Radiation kills cancer cells by interfering with their ability to reproduce. The radiation oncologist places tiny (size of a rice grain) metallic seeds (either Iodine 125 or Palladium 103), into the prostate gland guided by Ultrasound. Anywhere from 40-150 seeds may be implanted throughout the entire prostate. The calculated volume of the prostate determines the exact number of seeds. Each seeds emits a low level of radiation that can penetrate only a few millimeters of tissue, therefore primarily absorbed in the "target" tissue, and surrounding structures that can be damaged by radiation (such as bladder, urethra and rectum) are hence out of the seeds emission range.

The procedure is usually performed on a one-time outpatient basis under general anesthesia and takes about 2 hours. After recovery from anesthesia, the patient is generally discharged to go home on the same day. Usually within 48 hours patients can go back to their daily routine without activity or work restrictions. One day following the procedure, the patient is asked to return for X-ray confirmation of the seed placement and the subsequent recalculation of the post-operative dose distribution.

1. Radioactive seeds are inserted directly into the prostate permitting an escalation of the dose in the "target" and minimizing radiation exposure to surrounding tissue.
2. It is outpatient procedure providing convenience to the patient.
3. It can be done alone or in conjunction with External beam therapy.
4. Side effects are usually minimal.

Although the prostate is implanted with permanent radioactive seeds, their energy is very low. Therefore only negligible amounts of radiation are emitted from the patient's body and this is usually not considered a health risk to others. Nevertheless it is recommended that the patient avoid close contact with pregnant women or children for two months.