Prostate Seed Implantation
The
American Cancer Society estimates that approximately 180,400 new cases of
prostate cancer will be diagnosed in the United States during 2001 and that
approximately 31,900 men will die of the disease.
Prostate cancer accounts for about 11% of male cancer-related deaths,
making it the most commonly diagnosed solid tumor in men, and the second
most common cause of cancer death in American men, second only to lung
cancer.
Age is the central risk factor for prostate cancer, with the risk increasing rapidly after age 50. More than 80% of all prostate cancers are diagnosed in men over the age of 65. Race has also been found to be a factor in the development of the disease. For unknown reasons, prostate cancer is approximately twice as common among African-American men as it is among white American men.
In
Permanent Seed Brachytherapy, radioactive "seeds"
are implanted into the prostate gland through a hollow needle. By delivering
the radiation directly to the cancer, the prostate itself receives higher
doses of radiation in a more directed manner. The surrounding tissues are exposed
to less radiation. "In published 5 and 10 year results, prostate
brachytherapy demonstrates comparable survival rates to prostatectomy or
external beam radiotherapy in appropriately selected patients with
prostate confined disease, yet with fewer side effects."
Brachytherapy has advantages over traditional treatments. The outpatient procedure allows patients to go home the same day with relatively minor discomfort. Most men return to normal activities, including work, within a day or two and the incidence of urinary incontinence and impotence is lower than with surgery or definitive external beam radiotherapy.
Because men diagnosed with prostate cancer are usually older and may have other medical problems, treatment options, (such as brachytherapy), that provide similar cure rates without causing unnecessary complications, are particularly attractive.
