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Prostate cancer patients see high survival
rates with seed implants
Newswise — More than ninety percent of men
who receive appropriate radiation dose
levels with permanent radiation seed
implants to treat their prostate cancer are
cured of their cancer eight years after
diagnosis, according to a study released in
the February 1 issue of the International Journal
for Radiation Oncology*Biology*Physics,
the official journal of ASTRO.
Seed implants have become a widely-accepted
treatment option for early stage prostate
cancer because it is very effective at
curing the cancer, is minimally invasive and
often spares patients from side effects of
other treatments, such as impotence and
incontinence. The seeds, similar in size to
a grain of rice, contain a radiation dose
that, once implanted, delivers concentrated
radiation to the prostate, sparing
surrounding organs and tissue.
Doctors in this study evaluated the
long-term results of permanent seed implants
in men with early stage prostate cancer.
Nearly 2,700 men were studied at 11
institutions in the United States over eight
years. The radioactive seeds were
administered with the aid of
ultrasound-guided techniques to accurately
place the seeds in the prostate gland. The
patients received the seed implants as the
sole treatment for prostate cancer with no
additional chemotherapy or radiation
therapy.
“This study is exciting because it shows
that brachytherapy alone without additional
surgery, radiation or drugs can be effective
at curing early-stage prostate cancer,” said
Michael J. Zelefsky, M.D., lead author of
the study and Chief of Brachytherapy
Services at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer
Center in New York. “These results also
confirm other findings that the quality of
the seed implant is a critical ingredient
for achieving a better outcome.”
Medical centers participating in the study
were Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer in New
York, M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in
Houston, New York Prostate Institute in
Oceanside, N.Y., Arizona Oncology Services
in Scottsdale, Ariz., Seattle Prostate
Institute in Seattle, Chicago Prostate
Institute in Chicago, Cleveland Clinic
Foundation in Cleveland, Massachusetts
General Hospital in Boston, Mayo Clinic in
Rochester, Minn., University of Michigan
Medical School in Ann Arbor, Mich., and Fox
Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia.
For more information about prostate cancer
treatment options, please visit
http://www.rtanswers.org.
ASTRO is the largest radiation oncology
society in the world, with more than 8,500
members who specialize in treating patients
with radiation therapies. As the leading
organization in radiation oncology, biology
and physics, the Society is dedicated to the
advancement of the practice of radiation
oncology by promoting excellence in patient
care, providing opportunities for
educational and professional development,
promoting research and disseminating
research results and representing radiation
oncology in a rapidly evolving socioeconomic
healthcare environment.
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