Radioactive Seed Implants

Radioactive seed implants can be used as the sole treatment modality for adenocarcinoma of the prostate for appropriate patients with early stage disease. The two most common sources are Iodine-125 and Palladium-103, with no compelling clinical data that one is superior to the other. The radioactive seed implant can be individually customized to a patient's prostate to maximize the dose to the gland while minimizing the dose to the surrounding normal structures. Prostate brachytherapy offers the highest level of conformal radiation therapy for adenocarcinoma of the prostate. The prostate brachytherapy team at Thomas Jefferson University has extensive experience in prostate brachytherapy and has presented work at national and international forums.

Prostate brachytherapy or radioactive seed implant is a highly technical, operator dependent method delivers the radiation energy by placing many small radioactive seeds directly inside the prostate, effectively delivering the treatment "from the inside-out". This is done in the operating room under general anesthesia, as a one-time procedure. These seeds can deliver high doses of radiation directly to the tumor, with little harm to the normal, healthy tissue around the prostate. This may be combined with 3-dimensional conformal radiation therapy in some settings.

For more information about implants, click Facts About Implants.

3D-Conformal Radiation Therapy (3D-CRT)	Back to Radiation Therapy	3D-CRT+ Implant Boost

Home | Intro. | Radiation Therapy | Facts About Implants | Not for Every Physician Hormonal Therapy | Treatment Planning | Preparation | Implant Process | Side Effects Follow Up | Radiation Safety | Publications from TJU | About the Author Frequently Asked Questions | Glossary | Video Clips