Is LDR brachytherapy right for me?
LDR brachytherapy delivers radiation treatment in a very localised and targeted manner using tiny radioactive seeds of Iodine-125, each about the size of a grain of rice. These are inserted permanently into the prostate gland.
It is a minimally invasive treatment with significant quality of life benefits over alternative treatments such as surgery and externally delivered radiotherapy.
Seed brachytherapy benefits:
• Same-day or overnight procedure
• Low side-effects
• Rapid return to normal activities
A study* of over 52,000 patients who had undergone different treatments for prostate cancer demonstrated that the progression-free survival was longest for Low Dose Rate (LDR) Brachytherapy patients. Read more about the PCRSG study.
For more information we encourage you to discuss LDR Brachytherapy with your oncologist (cancer expert), urologist (expert on the urinary system) or specialist nurse.
*Prostate Cancer Results Study Group, available at www.pctrf.org (last accessed July 2016)
On this page:
Patient quick links:
Brachytherapy side effects
Comparing side effects and benefits of LDR brachytherapy with different prostate cancer treatments
Reproduced with permission from The Prostate Brachytherapy Centre, Guildford
Prostate cancer treatment selector chart
This chart will help you to discuss and compare brachytherapy with other treatments suitable for you.
Reproduced with permission from The Prostate Brachytherapy Centre, Guildford
Seek Further Information
To find the answers to any additional questions you might have, visit our LDR brachytherapy FAQ page.
