Medical devices implanted with radioisotopes can deliver a high dose of radiation directly to the site while still having a minimal effect on the whole body. Brachytherapy is a minimally invasive medical procedure that temporarily or permanently inserts tiny low-level radioactive seeds or wires into the prostate. The seeds destroy the cancerous tissue without damaging adjacent healthy tissue. For prostate cancer, the less invasive seed implantation procedure has significant advantages over existing treatment methods, allowing patients to go home the same day and return to normal activities. Among brachytherapy patients, these complications are much less prevalent.
Radioactive stents provide both a mechanical and pharmaceutical approach to restenosis prevention.
Stents support the artery wall, and radiation prevents growth of smooth muscle cells that cause reclosure of the artery. Herlein et al. Implant Sciences radioactive prostate seeds are not cleared for commercial distribution in the United States. Medical Device Glossary of Terms .