This means the rectum, intestines, and bladder receive much less radiation, and suffer fewer treatment side effects. Under anesthesia, the seeds are implanted using special needles inserted through the skin behind the scrotum. Real time ultrasound guidance ensures precise placement of the seeds. These seeds are left implanted permanently, but the radioactivity in them decays fairly rapidly. Prostate Brachytherapy is frequently combined with a reduced dose external beam treatment plan for locally advanced prostate cancers.
Most patients experience very little discomfort following the procedure.
The most common side effect of this type of radiation treatment is transient difficulty with urination due to prostate swelling induced by the treatment. Loose or frequent bowel movements are also common for a few months following the treatment. Urinary incontinence or loss of urinary control is much less common than following radical prostatectomy surgery. Fifteen and twenty year follow-up statistics are not yet available for Prostate Brachytherapy. As this treatment becomes more available, these figures are likely to continue to increase.