Seed brachytherapy offers comparable cure results  to both radical prostatectomy (including robotic surgery) and external beam radiation treatment. The choice between which treatment option is most suitable for you will depend on the management of side effects in consultation with your oncologist.

Focal brachytherapy is using the same technique, however is a highly targeted technique as it places the radioactive source into only the tumour itself instead of the whole prostate, preserving the rest of the prostate gland.

The benefits of brachytherapy compared with other forms of radiation treatment include:

Advantages

• Cure rates equivalent to surgery and external beam radiation
• Minimally invasive procedure completed within an hour, requiring minimal hospital stay
• Incontinence is extremely rare
• Impotence rates are the vicinity of 20 to 30%

Disadvantages

• Between one and six months following implantation it is common to experience the need to pass urine more frequently and your urinary flow may reduce. This occurs because there is a lot of swelling of prostate. In some men (less than 5%) it may be necessary to insert a temporary catheter into the bladder. Sometimes you will be recommended to take certain prescribed medications for the first few months after the implant to minimise flow problems
• Although there are no regulatory requirements to isolate you after implantation, we do advise that for two months after the implantation you minimise contact with children under the age of three and pregnant women
• Any prostate surgery following seed brachytherapy can be associated with increased risk

The side effects resulting from seed brachytherapy are less severe when compared surgery or external beam radiation. Treatment related side effects begin from one to two weeks after implant include urinary functions, change in bowel habits and sexual dysfunction.

Urinary side effects

Less likely, but not uncommon some men may have diarrhoea or loose bowel motions.  This can be managed by consuming a bland, low residue diets.

Please note that side effects do vary between individuals and usually last for three to six months after implantation.

Safety and what happens after your implant

The biggest concern for patients and their families is radiation safety after the implant.  Most of the radiation is absorbed by your body, and you would not be discharged unless these were at safe levels. Nevertheless, before leaving hospital, you will be given a medical alert card.  In the event of a medical emergency requiring hospitalisation (i.e. a car accident), this card will alert medical officers of your seed implantation.

• Picking up a child or hugging a pregnant woman is fine. However, you should avoid prolonged contact for the first two months. For instance:
• Avoid sitting a child on your lap.  Sitting beside you is fine
• Keep about six feet from pregnant women (or potentially pregnant women)
• Use a condom during intercourse.  Your body fluids are not radioactive and what you touch is not radioactive.  The use of a condom is recommended for the very low risk of a seed being passed and it is not uncommon for traces of blood to be found in your discharge.

Four weeks after your implant, you will be required to have CT scan.  This will allow the brachytherapy team to identify all the seeds implanted to calculate the dose given your prostate.  The timing of this scan is to allow for reduction in swelling of the prostate resulting from your implant.