Brachytherapy Overview
Permanent seed implantation (brachytherapy) for prostate cancer is a cancer treatment that uses small tubes (seeds) of temporary radiation to destroy cancer cells. The radioactive (I-125, Pd 103, or Cesium 131) material is placed into small titanium tubes (seeds) the size of a grain of rice and the seeds are positioned into the prostate in a carefully planned fashion. The radiation is given up over a short period of time causing the cancer cells to be unable to divide and eventually die. The term brachytherapy means short therapy in Greek. A high dose of radiation is delivered to the tumor; a much higher dose than other forms of external radiation such as IMRT or Protons. Radiation kills the tumor by affecting the DNA within the cancer cell. When the cancer cell attempts to divide and reproduce itself, it is unable to do so because the DNA is no longer intact and as a result, the prostate cancer dies.
Brachytherapy to treat prostate cancer began in the early 1900s. In fact, in 1906, Alexander Graham Bell suggested that a small amount of radioactive material could be placed into tumors. In 1916, the first prostate brachytherapy procedure was performed. Over the past twenty years, technology has resulted in dramatic advancements in prostate brachytherapy. Improved ultrasound equipment used to visualize the prostate and precisely guide placement of radioactive seeds allows for the delivery of a very high dose of radiation to the prostate, while minimizing the dose to the surrounding normal body organs such as the bladder and rectum. The development of computer systems to plan and evaluate the treatment has allowed even more precise brachytherapy and improved results. As a result, permanent seed implantation has demonstrated excellent cancer control rates and low complications for all stages of prostate cancer and thus has become very popular as a treatment option for patients.