Iodine seed prostate brachytherapy: an alternative first-line choice for early prostate cancer

Abstract

This article on permanent iodine-125 seed prostate brachytherapy reviews the techniques, results, and patient selection issues for early prostate cancer. The longterm 10 y results of brachytherapy from Seattle, and their reproducibility in other centres both in the USA and UK are reported. The use of hormone therapy in brachytherapy and the value of combining external beam radiotherapy with a brachytherapy implant are discussed. Reviewed comparative data show the similarity of biochemical survival in patients treated with brachytherapy, radical prostatectomy, and external beam radiotherapy. The role of brachytherapy as a first-line treatment option for patients with prostate cancer is demonstrated.

Prostate brachytherapy seed embolization to the right renal artery

“…Transperineal interstitial permanent prostate brachytherapy with iodine-125 (I-125) seeds is an established treatment option for localized prostate cancer (1). Implanted seeds have a known propensity to migrate through abundant periprostatic venous plexuses and embolize to organs distant to the pelvis.…”

Recurrent gliomas

“…7 Brachytherapy with 125 I seeds has been used as a first-line choice for early prostate cancer. 8 In addition, it provides an alternative approach for the treatment of various other cancers, including colon, cervical, prostate, breast, liver and skin cancers. [9][10][11][12][13] Despite its wide range of application and beneficial outcomes in various types of cancer therapy, the application of brachytherapy in central nervous system (CNS) tumors, such as recurrent malignant gliomas, has been greatly debated.…”

Injectable iodine-125 labeled tissue marker for radioactive localization of non-palpable breast lesions

“…This opens for the potential use of the material within the field of interstitial brachytherapy as high doses are absorbed locally to the surrounding tissue with less irradiation to healthy tissue [29]. For example, typically absorbed dose used in interstitial low-dose rate brachytherapy in prostate cancer is in the range of 145 Gy [30,31]. Additionally, the insertion using thin needles and the biocompatibility of the material offer clear advantages over the metal seeds currently used in brachytherapy.…”