Prostate brachytherapy is a form of internal radiation therapy that treats prostate cancer using seed implants. It involves placing radiation devices close to cancer cells situated in the prostate gland. Procedures for prostate brachytherapy vary according to the type of radiation the patient is receiving. Patients can undergo temporary prostate brachytherapy which takes several minutes before it’s removed or go through permanent prostate brachytherapy that takes days or weeks to release all the radiation.
If you have undergone permanent brachytherapy, you’ll have to take precautions with the people around you. Permanent brachytherapy treats cancer by delivering radioactive seeds directly to the prostate. Some of the seeds release radiation which can be hazardous to others. The seeds can remain in the prostate for a time while releasing low amounts of radiation that decrease with time. Depending on the specific treatment used, your radiation oncologists will recommend some precautions to take within the first two months after treatment. The precautions include: • Keeping away from sexual intercourse for two weeks after seed implantation. • If you have to, use a condom during intercourse to avoid passing the seed during ejaculation. • Limiting close contact with pregnant women and children for two months after treatment. • Do not allow children (especially those under a year) to sit on your lap for a long time. • If you need to travel to another country, carry a card from your radiation oncologist to indicate that you recently had a prostate seed implant. Some countries have border security checkpoints with radiation detectors. Implanted radiation treatments include leaving the radiation source in the body for a longer time. The implanted seeds emit small doses of radiation which become negligible over time. Even though the radiation amount lessens with time, there’s a possibility of exposure to other people
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AuthorAs the founder and medical director of the Prostate Seed Institute Dr. Gregory A. Echt. His vision to provide the most modern treatment, non surgical treatments for prostate cancer in various locations throughout the Dallas-Fort Worth continues to succeed. Now date, he has made a therapy for prostate implantation seed at over 2,500 men, including urologists and oncologists. Archives
December 2019
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