The Radioactive Seed Implant is an option that can be offered to many men with early stage prostate cancer. The prostate gland is located at the base of the penis just below the bladder and in front of the rectum. It produces the fluid that transports semen during ejaculation. The size and shape of the prostate gland varies considerably between men, but it is usually about the size of a walnut in normal men. Prostate Cancer Prostate cancer, like other cancers, is a disease of the body's cells.
All cells reproduce themselves by dividing.
Normal growth and repair of tissue takes place in an orderly manner with only enough new cells produced to replace those which die or are lost. Cancer occurs when cells grow and divide abnormally, invading and destroying nearby tissues and organs or spreading to other parts of the body. Cancer may occur in any part of the prostate gland, but it is most commonly found in the outer portions. The risk of prostate cancer increases as men get older, although the etiologies leading to prostate cancer is not clearly covered. By one year, the radioactivity from either of these two sources has decayed so much that it can be considered gone.