Brachytherapy - A Powerful, Non-Surgical Treatment Alternative in the Fight Against Prostate Cancer

Sometimes you plant a seed because you don’t want something to grow.

That’s exactly what cancer specialists have been doing for forty years to successfully treat patients with prostate cancers and other localized cancers, primarily in the early stages.  In an effective, minimally invasive procedure called Brachytherapy (or seed therapy), cancer-fighting medical radioisotopes are implanted in and/or around the affected organ, as close to the cancer as possible.  The isotopes are encased in capsules the size of a grain of rice and release a radiation dose, tailored to each patient, over a period of days.  Time release depends on the half-life of the isotope used, and ranges from 33 to 204 days.

How does Brachytherapy work?

The patient is under local, spinal or general anesthesia while the seeds are implanted, using ultrasound guidance for precision placement.  The number of seeds and dosage are determined by the type and stage of the cancer.  The seeds release their radioactive ingredient over time to kill surrounding cancer cells, while sparing healthy tissues and remain permanently in the body after the dosage has been spent.  The patient experiences no sensation or discomfort from the implanted seeds.The procedure itself will leave mild soreness that over the counter painkillers will address, and it is safe for them to remain inside the body.

Advances in techniques and medical isotopes

Since the first cancer patient was treated with Brachytherapy in 1967, there have been many advances in the isotopes used as well as implantation techniques, which now use ultra-sound technology.  The first isotope employed in this procedure to treat prostate cancer was Iodine-125, which is still used and delivers 90 percent of its radiation dosage to the patient over a period of 204 days.  Palladium-103 was then developed, and delivers 90 percent of its dosage over 58 days. 

Cesium-131 is the latest advancement in Brachytherapy isotopes

The latest isotope developed for Brachytherapy treatment of prostate cancer is called Cesium-131.  It has a much shorter half-life than the other two isotopes, and delivers 90 percent of its higher energy dosage to the patient in just 33 days. When you’re dealing with cancer, time is a critical element in treatment.  The faster that a dosage can be delivered to a targeted area, the quicker that cancer cells are eradicated, before they have a chance to replicate.

Of the approximately 218,890 men who will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in the United States this year, about 20 percent will choose to fight their disease with Brachytherapy, and the number grows each year.  Increased screenings and earlier detection mean Brachytherapy is now at the forefront to save lives and enhance the quality of life for men battling this disease.