Procedure Prostate Cancer Prostate Brachytherapy Prostate Cancer According to the American Cancer Society, prostate cancer is the most commonly occurring cancer in males today, second only to lung cancer as a cause of cancer-related death in men. Prostate cancer occurs most frequent in men aged 60-80 and is rare before the age of 40. The cause is unknown. If prostate cancer can be detected early, proper treatment may result in an increased cure rate. Early detection allows for a greater number of candidates for prostate brachytherapy. As the mammogram revolutionized the early detection of breast cancer in women, the DRE (digital rectal examination) and the PSA (Prostatic Specific Antigen), a simple blood test, similarly developed early detection of prostate cancer in men. Prostate brachytherapy, also known as radioactive seed implantation, supports excellent prognoses to men with localized prostate cancer. The procedure does not require a hospital stay and typically has no long-term side effects. It does not affect the patient's lifestyle and most important, it kills cancer cells in the prostate with radiation. Prostate Brachytherapy "Brachy" is a Greek prefix meaning "short" (just as "tele" means "far"). Brachytherapy is treatment at short range, as contrasted, for example, with being bombarded at a distance by external beam radiation. In prostate brachytherapy we use radiation, in the form of small "seeds" placed very close to the area being treated. This minimizes the chance of affecting nearby tissue, while still delivering enough radiation to the prostate to destroy the offending cells. Ultrasound-guided prostate brachytherapy is a relatively new technique, having been pioneered in the U.S. in the mid-1980's. This form of treatment, also called "interstitial brachytherapy" or simply a "seed implant," is not surgery. It does not require a hospital stay; it typically has no long term side effects; and it does not affect the patient's lifestyle. What it does is kill cancer cells with radiation. Prostate brachytherapy is an outpatient procedure which requires (after an initial exam) two visits to the treatment center. During the first visit, a "volume study" measures the prostate gland by means of ultrasound, so that the optimal treatment can be planned. A few weeks later, the patient returns, this time to have radioactive seeds inserted (by means of a needle, the same gauge as is used when you donate blood) directly into the prostate, while under anesthesia. The procedure takes about an hour; after that the patient spends two or more hours in a reclining chair, recovering from the effects of the anesthesia. Then he goes home. Some patients feel well enough to go out to dinner the same evening; most are back at work within a few days. As with any medical procedure, the patient is well advised to ask informed questions, to review alternatives, to understand his diagnosis, and to satisfy himself as to what is involved in all potential courses of treatment.