• April 23, 2024

Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of death in men; however, if it is detected early and with the appropriate treatment, it can be cured. It can be slow or rapid growth, everything depends on the development of it and the age of the person who suffers.

Once prostate cancer is diagnosed, the different treatment options must be evaluated, including: radical prostatectomy, external radiotherapy and the brachytherapy .

The doctor Arturo Lozano Zalce, radiologist-oncologist at Hospital Angeles del Pedregal , stresses that brachytherapy It is an effective therapeutic alternative that has been used for 15 years, and consists of implanting small radioactive capsules (seeds), about the size of a grain of rice, inside the prostate.

Before starting the procedure, an ultrasonic study of the prostate volume is performed to see the size and accurately know the number of seeds to be placed.

How it is performed?

On the day of implantation, an epidural anesthetic is applied to the patient and an ultrasonic transducer is placed rectally and to insert the needles containing the seeds in the area of ​​the scrotum and the anus. Once the seeds are implanted, the needles are removed.

The seeds are so small that they do not cause any discomfort when walking and remain permanently inside the prostate, without generating any kind of long-term discomfort. The radioactive materials are composed of iodine-125.

The procedure lasts 45 to 60 minutes. The brachytherapy It is considered by specialists as an outpatient procedure, since after the implant, the patient will rest in a recovery room for a few minutes and later, as soon as the anesthesia has passed.

The seeds destroy the cancer cells of the prostate for a year; however, after the implant you will have to go for a revision every three or six months during the first 5 years, to monitor the progress of the treatment

Who can undergo this procedure?

To determine if a man can undergo the brachytherapy , the doctor must take into account that the patient has prostate cancer, that is of advanced age and with an expectation of life greater than 10 years, or some contraindication for a radical prostatectomy.

In addition, the patient can undergo this treatment if they have any age, but do not want to assume the risk and complications of a radical surgery such as impotence and incontinence, as well as those who have experienced external radiotherapy without the desired success.

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