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Select the question below or use the scroll bar to read all questions and
answers in this section:
What advantages does brachytherapy have over surgery?
For some men, surgery seems like a good idea because they think it “gets the
cancer out.” While surgery - technically known as radical prostatectomy - often
is an effective prostate cancer treatment, nearly half the time, surgery leaves
cancer cells behind.11 And many men who choose this procedure
instead of seeding often live with regret due to incontinence and impotence. Long-term research, following patients up to 12 years after treatment, indicates brachytherapy with the TheraSeed® device produces results better than or equal to surgery,1 yet it works with a lower risk of incontinence and impotence.2,3
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Surgery results in a higher incidence of incontinence than seeding. In
one study, approximately 10 percent of men experienced urinary incontinence
(lack of bladder control) following radical prostatectomy.3 |
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Surgery results in a higher incidence of impotence than seeding.
According to another scientific study, up to 79.6 percent of patients may
experience impotence following radical prostatectomy.6 |
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Surgery frequently doesn’t remove all cancer cells. One study indicated 47
percent of men undergoing radical prostatectomy (surgery) had cancer cells
remaining in their bodies following surgery for localized prostate cancer.11 |
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It takes up to eight weeks to recover from surgery. Surgery involves a one- to
four-hour procedure, an average hospital stay of three to five days and up to
eight weeks of recovery. With brachytherapy, most patients leave the hospital
within hours and resume routine activities within days. |
I am young and my life expectancy is long. Should I have a radical prostatectomy
rather than seeding to be sure all the cancer is removed?
Clinical studies indicate brachytherapy can be an effective treatment for
patients regardless of risk factor or age.13 In addition, surgery
does not guarantee that all cancer cells are removed. One study indicated 47
percent of men undergoing radical prostatectomy had cancer cells remaining in
their bodies following surgery for localized prostate cancer.11 With
TheraSeed® treatment, the radioactive ingredient, palladium-103
fights cancer from inside the body over a period of several months. In fact, long-term research, following patients up to 12 years after treatment, indicates brachytherapy with the TheraSeed® device produces results better than or equal to surgery,1 yet it works with a lower risk of incontinence and impotence.2,3 Altogether, TheraSeed® treatment provides an excellent chance for a complete life.
Is TheraSeed® treatment preferable to iodine seed implants?
All seeds are not created equal. Brachytherapy treatment involves implanting
tiny, radioactive seeds into the prostate gland to fight cancer. Two different
types of seeds are used. One has a palladium base; the other has an iodine
base. Originally, physicians used seeds composed of iodine-125 (I-125). While
these older devices are still in use today, science evolved, resulting in the
development of palladium-103 (Pd-103) seeds. The palladium composition of
TheraSeed® treatment offers distinct advantages over iodine-based
seeds:
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Clinical data demonstrate the palladium base used in TheraSeed® treatment
acts faster and results in significantly fewer long-term complications than
iodine-based seeds.4 |
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TheraSeed® treatment delivers an initial dose rate two to three
times stronger than iodine-125, resulting in better control of rapidly dividing
cells.12 |
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Patients treated with Pd-103 recovered from radiation-related prostatitis
(infection or inflammation of the prostate gland) sooner than
I-125 patients.12 |
What advantages does TheraSeed® treatment have over external beam
radiation?
TheraSeed® treatment, a one-time procedure, delivers more targeted
radiation directly to the prostate, sparing non-targeted healthy tissues and
nearby organs. It offers compelling advantages as compared to external beam
radiation used alone. The procedure lasts approximately 45 minutes and is
usually performed with local anesthesia in an outpatient setting. Most patients
go home within hours and resume routine activities in about two to three days.
Typically, traditional external beam radiation therapy (EBRT) requires five
visits per week for six to eight weeks, and it exposes healthy tissues and
nearby organs to potentially damaging radiation. EBRT complications may include
incontinence, impotence and rectal injury.6 In addition, side
effects may include fatigue and diarrhea, as well as frequent and painful
urination.
A newer form of treatment -- Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT) --
enables more precise treatment. Instead of having a single, large radiation
beam pass through the body, IMRT breaks it up into thousands of thin beams,
improving accuracy and minimizing harm to surrounding tissue. However,
long-term results of IMRT are not yet known.
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