why not ldr brachytherapy?

laojia
laojia Member Posts: 10 Member
in Prostate Cancer #1

It seems ldr internal brachytherapy are not very popular nowadays. But on paper, it makes great sense: the radiation seeds inserted directly into prostate, therefore, it should not affect organs and tissues next to the prostate. The treatment is convenient comparing to others, for it only require one time, painless treatment. Brachytherapy has been long established with verifiable efficacy and side effects comparable to RP and EBRT. When I consulted the radiation oncologist at ucsf and asked about getting brachytherapy but i was told it was not offered there.

Comments

  • centralPA
    centralPA Member Posts: 322 Member
    #2

    I think it makes great sense too. It is a specialized procedure, so the team has to know what they are doing. Also, they can’t charge as much money for it, so not a big revenue generator for a hospital. The 20+ IMRT visits versus a one day outpatient treatment?

    Two big cancer treatment sites in the Philly area, Fox Chase and U Penn, only offer HDR Brachytherapy rather than LDR. They claim same results, but no radiation left in the body, and no worry of seeds wandering.

  • Clevelandguy
    Clevelandguy Member Posts: 1,171 Member
    #3

    Hi,

    As centralPA mentioned make sure you get an experienced set of doctors and great facilities to get the best results. It seems like low dose Brachy is a good choice for low to intermediate grade Prostate cancer. Make sure you check the side effects of low dose Brachy, they do exist. Instead of looking for a convenient treatment go for one that get you the best chance to put your cancer in remission.

    Dave 3+4

  • Old Salt
    Old Salt Member Posts: 1,503 Member
    edited August 3 #4

    Radioactive seed therapy (low-dose brachytherapy) has been around for a long time and may give good results for specific situations. However, it is not correct to state that surrounding tissues are not affected by the radiation.

    In fact, patients are often warned not to take their pooch on their lap (or a grandchild) right after treatment. May even set of radiation detectors at airports…

  • RodKinSJ
    RodKinSJ Member Posts: 1 *
    #5

    I worry about late side effects that can occur 5-10 yrs down the road with sbrt. like hematuria.

    Even though MR guided ebrt is so accurate, the beam is still passing thru the body.

    LD brachy seems like it might have less side effects.

    If you are more prone to radiation toxicity according to the Prostox test, they might steer you towards 40 fraction imrt, instead of 5 fraction sbrt.

    Seems like LD bT should have less side effects than HD bT.

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