Brachytherapy Tops Radiation for Unfavorable Risk Prostate Cancers

1. Men who are diagnosed with unfavorable risk prostate cancer may find they have treatment options available. In most cases, androgen depravation therapy will be used to help control symptoms and tumor growth. Brachytherapy or external beam radiation may also be used in conjunction with ADT to extend life. Recent research shows that brachytherapy may be the better choice for a combination treatment. The study in question involved a retrospective review of patient cases in a national database. Researchers found that using a brachytherapy boost in conjunction with ADT produced a 40 percent greater relative benefit in 5-year survival than external beam radiation for men with high-risk prostate cancer. Brachytherapy involves the implantation of tiny radioactive seed pellets directly into a diseased prostate gland. This treatment is designed to irradiate cancerous cells while sparing as much of the nearby healthy tissue as possible. Considered minimally invasive, low-dose brachytherapy has a very short recovery time and generally results in men being able to resume their normal routines almost immediately. Although associated with some side effect risks, it tends to pose fewer concerns than external beam radiation. It is estimated that 161,000 American men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in the coming year. While most of these men will find their cancer is considered slow-growing and low risk, that is simply not always the case. Men who are diagnosed with more aggressive or advanced cases of prostate cancer, however, will find treatment options are available to them. ADT will almost always be

2. recommended. This therapy, however, is not considered curative and may have limited effectiveness. When the desire is to extend life expectancy, men may find that a brachytherapy boost is recommended. All men are at risk for the development of prostate cancer as they age. Considering that fact, it is strongly recommended that men talk with their doctors about personal risks and the need for routine screening.