Management of patients receiving transperineal palladium-103 prostate implants.
OBJECTIVE
To describe the complexities of the medical management of patients undergoing treatment of prostate cancer; discuss the sequelae of treatment options, including surgery, external beam radiation, and brachytherapy; outline the evolution of interstitial prostatic brachytherapy and the current use of transperineal ultrasound-guided prostate implants using palladium-103 (103Pd), and discuss the side effects of the 103Pd prostate implant as well as the nursing management of patients who receive the implants.


METHODS
Published articles and State of Florida administrative codes.


RESULTS
Transperineal 103Pd implants are a viable and contemporary treatment for early stage prostate cancer that provide the advantages of an outpatient procedure along with less acute morbidity and better potency preservation.


CONCLUSIONS
Side effects associated with 103Pd implants are predictable, short-lived, and easily managed. Sexual function is maintained in most men. Patient education greatly reduces patient anxiety.


CONCLUSIONS
Nurses' roles include preprocedure assessment, intraprocedure care and postimplant monitoring, and patient education for discharge.
Cash
J C
JC
Department of Radiation Oncology, University Community Hospital, Tampa, FL, USA.
Dattoli
M J
MJ
D001918:Brachytherapy / Q000009:adverse effects; D007172:Erectile Dysfunction / Q000209:etiology / Q000451:nursing; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010165:Palladium / Q000009:adverse effects; D019990:Perioperative Care; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000451:nursing* / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D011868:Radioisotopes / Q000009:adverse effects
D011868:Radioisotopes; D010165:Palladium