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Turville Bay, in partnership with area physicians,
offers Brachytherapy. Also called seed implantation
or interstitial radiation therapy, it is the use of
small radioactive pellets, or "seeds," each
about the size of a grain of rice, that are placed
directly into your prostate. Brachytherapy is generally
used only in men with early stage prostate cancer that
is relatively slow growing.
Its use may also be limited by other factors. For
men who have had a transurethral resection of the prostate
(TURP) or for those who already have urinary problems,
the risk of urinary side effects may higher. Brachytherapy
may not be as effective in men with large prostate
glands because many more seeds may be needed. Doctors
are now looking at ways of getting around this, such
as giving men a short course of hormone therapy beforehand
to shrink the prostate.
Imaging tests such as transrectal ultrasound, CT
scans, or MRI help guide the placement of the radioactive
pellets. Special computer programs calculate the exact
dose of radiation needed. Without these, the cancer
might get too little radiation or the normal tissues
around it could get too much.
From the American Cancer
Society
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