Brachytherapy for Prostate Cancer
Permanent Prostate Seed Implants One treatment technique for prostate cancer is prostate seed implants. This technique, known as brachytherapy, involves planting radioactive "seeds" in the prostate gland. Brachytherapy delivers a prescribed dose of radiation directly to the cancer cells while decreasing the risk of radiating surrounding health tissue. The seeds then become less radioactive over the course of several months. NOTE: This technique differs from HDR Brachytherapy, which is available at Thompson at Methodist. The Thompson Technique The Thompson Cancer Survival Center has developed a superior technique for prostate seed implants. Typically, the arrangement of seeds in the prostate is determined weeks in advance of the procedure using a rectal ultrasound probe. The problem with this method is that the prostate can change shape and position between the ultrasound scan and the actual procedure. The Thompson Technique is real-time in the operating room. The ultrasound probe and seed patterns are determined in the operating room prior to the procedure using a sophisticated computer artificial intelligence. This means that seeds are placed based on where the prostate is on the day of the procedure. The real advantage of the Thompson Technique is the Real-Time Evaluation. An implant procedure can have 50 to 150 individual seeds implanted in the prostate. Not all of the seeds end-up in the optimal position after they are released from the guide needles. Other techniques evaluate the placement of the seeds (called Post Planning) weeks after the procedure using a CAT scan. If some of the seeds were not placed correctly, then you either do nothing or repeat the procedure. With the Thompson Technique, the seeds are tracked as they leave the guide needles. The placement of the seeds and the radiation dose is evaluated during the procedure. If part of the prostate gland is not getting enough dose, then the software alerts the physicians and adjustments can be made immediately before the patient ever leaves the operating room.		Real-Time Evaluation allows the physician to see where the radiation doses are being delivered during the treatment, instead of weeks later like most techniques.

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