Radioactive seed implants (brachytherapy) for prostate cancer
By Mayo Clinic staffBrachytherapy for prostate cancer delivers radiation directly into the prostate with radioactive pellets. This method delivers a higher dose of radiation to the prostate gland than does external beam radiation, while less surrounding tissue is damaged by radiation.
Radioactive seed implants can be either temporary or permanent.
- Temporary seed implants, called high-dose radiation (HDR) brachytherapy, deliver radiation via tiny wires placed into the prostate and then immediately removed. It usually requires several treatments.
- Permanent seed implants, called low-dose radiation (LDR) brachytherapy, places tiny metal pellets into the prostate gland. These pellets release radiation over a few months and kill the cancer cells.
The procedure to implant radioactive seeds typically lasts one to two hours and is done on an outpatient basis while you're under spinal or general anesthesia. Seed implant causes short-term as well as long-term urinary and rectal side effects, although most of them are tolerable. Sometimes brachytherapy may be used together with external beam radiation.
