Prostate seed brachytherapy is an established treatment option for cancer. Under anesthesia, radioactive seeds, the size of rice, are placed directly into the prostate gland. Depending on the size of the prostate and activity of the individual seed, between 40-100 of these seeds are permanently placed. After recovery from anesthesia, the patient is generally discharged to go home on the same day. Usually within 48 hours patients can go back to their daily routine without activity or work restrictions.
In selecting the most advanced equipment available, the physicians at ECU Physicians Radiation Oncology and Eastern Urological Associates examined all the currently available prostate brachytherapy equipment. Based on extensive clinical research, a real-time ultrasound guided system was chosen. This Bard brachytherapy system ensures that the prostate as seen during the actual implant procedure is optimally implanted. Unlike most other brachytherapy procedures, the Bard ProSeed technique is based on the prostate shape during the implantation. Should the implantation change the prostate's shape, as is often the case during any type of brachytherapy procedure, the Bard ProSeed technique accounts for this change in real time. This particular type of technique, which requires special training for the radiation oncologist, urologist, and medical physicist, is not widely available, but due to its enhanced flexibility was specifically chosen.
In certain select cases, prostate brachytherapy is used in conjunction with external beam treatment to hopefully improve outcomes. Many patients do not, however, routinely need this combined modality approach. The experts at ECU Physicians Radiation Oncology can assist in this important decision.
Prostate seed implant's three dimensional (3D) final dose distribution . The seeds are the green cylinders. The prostate, urethra, and rectum have been contoured and rendered in 3D.
Intraoperative real-time ultrasound based brachytherapy planning. The prostate (red outline), urethra (white square with green outline), and seeds (light green triangles) are mapped during the procedure so that adjustments can be made in real time.
