Seed implantation with iodine-125 or palladium-103 seeds
(brachytherapy) is a highly effective treatment for patients with cancer.
Brachytherapy requires no surgical incision, offers patients a shorter recovery time, and has less chance of troubling side effects.
For example,for prostate cancer,brachytherapy is an outpatient procedure and most men go home the same day as their treatment. Seed implantation takes only 45 minutes to 1 hour.With brachytherapy, most men can return to their normal activities a few days after treatment.
Seed implantation with iodine-125 seed gives a lower dose rate of radiation than palladium-103.and as iodine-125 works in your body longer than palladium-103, it is ideal for treating slow growing tumors such as most prostate cancers.
HOW IS AN IMPLANT PERFORMED?
Before an implantation, an ultrasound volume study to see the size and location of the cancerous mass as well as the surrounding organs. During the pre-plan a predetermination is made of how many seeds a patient will need and exactly where they should be placed based on the size and shape of the cancerous mass. At the beginning of the implantation, the patient will be administered local anesthesia. To guide the precise placement of the seeds, an ultrasound probe is placed on cancerous mass so that an image of the mass. Usually 20 to 100 seeds are placed inside needles that are inserted in to the masses The ultrasound probe ensures that the needles are guided with maximum accuracy based on the plan.
INDICATION
What types cancer can be used brachytherapy and what aims are this therapy?
- Prostate cancer
- Solid cancer,especially local tumor,such as cancer of oral cavity,tongue cancer,tumor of head-neck
- Brain tumor,such as glioma
- Postoperative tumor bed,to prevent recurrence
SIDE EFFECTS
There is little discomfort after the implantation. These symptoms usually go away in a few days. Some men with prostate cancer may experience discomfort while urinating, or the need to urinate more frequently. These symptoms usually begin 1 to 2 weeks after implantation and gradually decrease over time as the seeds lose their strength.Drinking lots of fluids and avoiding caffeine and alcohol may help relieve these symptoms. A small percentage of men, particularly those who have had previous prostate surgery, may experience incontinence. Impotence may also occur in some men, particularly those over the age of 70. However, the rates of impotence and incontinence are lower with iodine-125 seeds than with other treatments.
SPECIAL PRECAUTIONS AFTER THE IMPLANTATION
Although seeds contains radioactive material, the patient is not radioactive. One of the benefits of seeds is that almost all radiation stays within the cancerous mass. After implantation, the patient can continue to enjoy physical contact with other adults. A physician may also recommend that patients avoid close contact with small children and pregnant women for the first 2 months after treatment.
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