Brachytherapy
Brachytherapy is the permanent implantation through hollow needles of radioactive seeds into the prostate gland under guidance of ultrasound imaging.
Brachytherapy is often used as a sole treatment approach but, where appropriate, may also be used in combination with other therapies, such as external beam radiation or hormone therapy. Click here for a list of frequently asked questions about brachytherapy at Mills-Peninsula.
Advantages of brachytherapy include: the precise targeting of the radiation, which spares healthy tissue; the fact that the procedure can usually be completed in 1-3 hours on an outpatient basis; a substantially lower incidence than surgery or external beam irradiation of both impotence and incontinence; and little to no impact on the patient's quality of life.
Disadvantages of this treatment approach include some incidence of impotence and incontinence, frequent urination and, occasionally, blood in the urine.
Brachytherapy involves the expertise and close involement of an entire team of specialists, including urologists, radiation oncologists and medical physicists. Working in concert, the team determines in advance the radiation dosage and exact number of seeds required for a case, as well as the precise seed placement needed to effectively treat the tumor.
Following the procedure, there is a brief recovery period until the effects of the anesthesia wear off (in most cases, either general or spinal anesthesia). Patients typically return to their normal activities within 1-2 days with minimal restrictions. Although, the incidence of side effects is low, a small number of patients may experience some impotence or incontinence following the procedure.
There have been several clinical studies conducted on the effectiveness of brachytherapy, used both as a sole therapy and in combination with other forms of treatment. Since the introduction of brachytherapy, more than 100,000 prostate cancer patients have been treated with seed implants. Significantly, the clinical effectiveness of brachytherapy (i.e. its ability to eradicate disease) compares very favorably with that of alternate treatments with one significant diference: brachytherapy offers many side effect-sparing quality of life advantages that are not achievable with other treatments.
To schedule a consultation at the Dorothy Schneider Cancer Center, call (650) 696-4509.