Brachytherapy with the TheraSeed^® device involves a simple, one-time procedure. Typically, a patient receives local anesthesia and does not feel anything below the waist. Often, medication is used to induce relaxation and drowsiness. Using ultrasound equipment to see inside the body, the physician inserts thin, hollow needles into the prostate gland and deposits about 75 to 150 tiny seeds. The procedure lasts approximately 45 minutes and is usually performed in an outpatient setting. Most patients leave the hospital within hours and resume routine activities in about two to three days. That’s it. While it’s based on hard science and years of independent clinical research, you experience only a few hours of inconvenience.

During the next few months, the radioactive ingredient, palladium-103 (Pd-103), fights cancer from inside the body. It delivers a highly concentrated, yet confined dose of radiation directly to surrounding cells, minimizing exposure to nearby healthy tissue and organs. The seeds remain in place permanently and are compatible with body tissues.

Patients undergoing brachytherapy may experience the following side effects:

In addition to brachytherapy, some physicians may recommend combining TheraSeed^® treatment with hormone therapy and/or external beam radiation therapy.