No. Although the seeds are radioactive, patients are not. Because the radioactivity is so low and the placement is so precise, virtually all the radioactivity is absorbed into the prostate. Patients are recommended to avoid prolonged close contact with small children and pregnant women in the first two months after treatment.

Seed implantation is a viable option for early prostate cancer. You should speak with your doctor to determine if this is an option for you.

No. Although the seeds are radioactive, patients are not. Because the radioactivity is so low and the placement is so precise, virtually all the radioactivity is absorbed into the prostate. However, special precautions should be taken when a patient is in contact with small children and pregnant women in the first two months after treatment. You nurse or doctor will advise you what precautions are necessary and when. No, the seeds are of low energy and pose little risk to your partner.

For most of these patients, radioactive seed implantation into the prostate is a one-time, non-surgical, low-impact procedure. Radioactive seed implantation into the prostate is typically performed in an outpatient hospital setting by a team of physicians consisting of a urologist, radiation oncologist, and a radiation physicist. Spinal anesthesia is typically performed, but general anesthesia may occasionally be utilized. Some centers perform this procedure in their hospital operating rooms.

Half life" describes the time in which an isotope loses half its strength. For example, Iodine, which has a half life of 60 days, will be half its strength at 60 days. Sixty days later it will be half of this strength. It takes about six months for Iodine to be about 10% of its original strength and a year to lose all strength. Seed implantation alone (like surgery) presumes the cancer is only in the prostate. For many patients this is highly likely.

Tiny pellets, smaller than a grain of rice, which contain radioactive seeds are implanted directly into the prostate to treat prostate cancer. They give off low-energy radiation on a continual basis to destroy the cancer. The seeds are carefully positioned so that the radiation is distributed evenly throughout the prostate gland.

The risk of long-term incontinence after either seed implant alone or in combination with external beam radiation in the typical, (non-TURP), patient is extremely rare, less than 1%. Over the short term, some patients experience significant urgency and may have difficulty reaching the restroom without some slight dribbling. This resolves over one to two months. In patients with a large TURP defect, it is technically challenging to perform a good implant.

All men who are candidates for a radical prostatectomy may be candidates for a seed implant alone, if they have stage A or stage B disease. Men who are not candidates for a prostatectomy because of a health reasons and may be poor anesthesia risks, may be candidates for seed implantation because of its low anesthesia risk. Occasionally, a patient may require external radiation therapy prior to the seed implant if they have advanced disease or markedly elevated PSA.

Since the seeds are implanted in the prostate with pinpoint accuracy, they pose little risk to nearby, non-cancerous tissues. The result is a low complication rate with seed implants for incontinence or impotence.

Although the early use of hormone therapy has not been studied In the case of brachytherapy, it appears to increase the effectiveness of external beam therapy. Consequently, it may also prove effective in brachytherapy. However, because of the side effects of the hormones, they should probably not be used in low-risk patients.

The first visit is at 6-8 weeks and thereafter every three months for two years. After two years, visits are recommended every six months. After five years, a PSA is scheduled every six months and a physical exam at least once a year. Alternating these visits between the radiation oncologist and urologist insures complete care. If the patient has a good internist or family practitioner, we encourage his/her participation as well.

The value of a biopsy after seed implantation is controversial. This is primarily because of the lack of skilled pathologists interpreting the biopsies and the discomfort associated with the procedure. There is also the suggestion that the biopsy may give no better information than the PSA in predicting success of the treatment. Radiation can cause prostate cancer cells to appear quite abnormal. This has been particularly noted if the biopsy is done before two years.

According to Chan K. Chung, M.D., Chairman of the Radiation Oncology Department at Washington Adventist Hospital, there are practical and theoretical advantages over the other treatments: Radioactive seeds can deliver significantly higher radiation doses to the prostate gland without affecting adjacent normal tissue. This potentially provides better tumor control than external beam radiotherapy in selected cases.

This is the process by which the hatched embryo attaches itself to the internal lining of your uterus and starts to take nutrition and oxygen from you. This takes place a few days after embryo transfer and you will not be able to feel it.

Brachytherapy is an effective treatment for patients who have early prostate cancer. It is also an attractive option for patients whose poor health suggests that a radical prostatectomy surgery should be avoided. When a patient's cancer has spread out beyond the prostate gland, a combination of external radiation and seed implantation provides one of the most effective treatments.

Dr. Gottesman began doing permanent seed implantation through the open approach over twenty years ago. He and Dr. Mate have been performing temporary HDR implants since 1989. Drs Blasko and Grimm pioneered the development of transperineal seed implantation at Northwest Hospital with Dr. Ragde in 1986. Dr. Sylvester has been performing seed implantation since 1987.

In some patients, the presence of a previous TURP prevents a technically good implant. In the past, patients with a prior TURP had an increased risk of urinary incontinence of approximately 25% at six years. The majority of this incontinence was minor, requiring a simple pad. In the past several years changes in the pattern of seed placement have been done in these TURP patients with the hope of decreasing this risk.

Complication rates with radioactive seed implants are less than those of radical prostatectomy or external beam radiation. After a radioactive seed implant, less than one percent of patients who have not had prior surgery will become incontinent, and about 15 percent of the men treated under the age of 70 will become impotent. In men older than 70 the impotence rate is usually higher.

Prostate seed implantation is associated with lower rates of impotence and incontinence compared to traditional treatments, such as radical prostatectomy and external beam radiation. Prostate seed implantation is a one-time, low-impact procedure. Patients can return to normal activity (including work) within one to three days, with little or no pain. Surgical patients remain in the hospital for 5-7 days and require weeks of recovery at home.

Radical surgery is a major operation requiring a long recovery and may include side effects such as impotence and incontinence. External beam radiation requires daily treatment for seven to eight weeks. In comparison, radioactive seed implants only require a one-time outpatient treatment.

No. Even though the effects of radiation are powerful, the patient will not become permanently radioactive. External radiation therapy affects targeted cells only for a moment. By the time the patient leaves the treatment area the patient will not be emitting any radiation. With internal radiation therapy, the patient's body may emit a small amount of radiation for a short time. RETURN TO TOP OF PAGE Radiation therapy is an effective way to treat certain kinds of cancer.

I do not believe it is as effective as surgery. (Use the search engine in this website to find comparisons and studies for brachytherapy.)

The effect of the implant on potency can be immediate or delayed. Studies so far indicate overall, approximately 25 percent of men who are fully potent (able to achieve an erection) prior to implantation, will become impotent after the procedure. Another 25 percent will experience some decrease in their potency but still have intercourse. At present we have no way of predicting who may be affected and when.

We have noticed men over 70 have a slightly greater chance of impotency, and may be part of the natural aging process. We have not found age is related to the risk of incontinence. A volume study is the first step of the mapping procedure. This is an ultrasound procedure in which images of the prostate are taken at 5 mm increments. These images are then reassembled on the computer to make a three dimensional model. Using this model, we determine the exact placement of each seed.

Seed implantation is associated with lower rates of impotence and incontinence compared to traditional treatments, such as radical prostatectomy and external beam radiation. For most patients, seed implantation is a one-time, non-surgical, low-impact procedure. Patients can return to normal activity, including work, within one to three days with little or no pain. Radical prostatectomy patients remain in the hospital for 4-10 days and require weeks of recovery at home.