Prostate Brachytherapy

Prostate brachytherapy is the application of brachytherapy, a type of radiotherapy in which radioactive sources are placed into or very close to a tumor, to localized prostate cancer. Of the two general types of brachytherapy, high dose-rate and low dose-rate, low dose-rate brachytherapy is the one most commonly used to treat prostate cancer and is also called seed implantation: tiny radioactive particles the size of a grain of rice, called seeds, are implanted directly into or very close to the tumor, either linked together as strands or individually, delivering high radiation doses to the tumor while sparing the surrounding healthy tissue. Under general anaesthetic the seeds are injected through fine needles directly into the prostate; they remain permanently in place and gradually become inactive as their radioactivity decays naturally over time. Unlike traditional surgery, low dose-rate prostate brachytherapy requires no incisions and is normally performed as an outpatient procedure, sometimes with a single overnight hospital stay, and most patients return to work or normal activities within a few days, with the technique reported to carry fewer side effects and less risk of incontinence or impotence than other treatment options for localized prostate cancer.