Modern brachytherapy for treatment of prostate cancer.
BACKGROUND
Prostate cancer is the most common cancer diagnosed in men. An increasing number of these patients are seeking minimally invasive procedures such as transperineal interstitial permanent radioactive seed prostate brachytherapy.


METHODS
This paper reviews the historical perspective and the current advances in transperineal interstitial permanent radioactive seed prostate brachytherapy. The 10- to 15-year results data now published for brachytherapy alone or in combination with external-beam irradiation are also reviewed.


RESULTS
Modern brachytherapy using transperineal interstitial permanent radioactive seed prostate brachytherapy offers patients an excellent quality of life with convenient outpatient treatment with long-term (10- to 15-year) biochemical relapse-free survival rates ranging from 67% to 87%, depending on risk stratification.


CONCLUSIONS
Modern-day brachytherapy utilizing either radioactive iodine-125 or palladium-103 alone or in combination with supplemental external-beam treatment offers patients a successful treatment outcome with acceptable toxicity.
Heysek
Randy V
RV
Radiation Oncology Program, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute, Tampa, FL 33612, USA. heysekrv@moffitt.org
D001918:Brachytherapy / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D019060:Minimally Invasive Surgical Procedures; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000532:radiotherapy* / Q000601:surgery; D011788:Quality of Life; D018570:Risk Assessment; D016019:Survival Analysis