Seeds to Consider After a Prostate Cancer Diagnosis - Advice On Treatment Alternatives
Prostate cancer patients opting for radical prostatectomy as recommended by their urologist, may be suitable candidates for less invasive procedures
Wakefield, MA (PRWEB) October 21, 2004 -- Unlike their female counterparts
who are proactively involved in their breast cancer treatment, men often fail to
be fully informed of the treatment options for their prostate cancer prior to
making a decision because they do not seek a second opinion.
Prostate
cancer patients opting for radical prostatectomy as recommended by their
urologist, may be suitable candidates for less invasive procedures according to
Dr. Kirk Kanady, Medical Director of Houston Prostate Cancer Centers.
Innovative treatments are making it possible for men to live long and
healthy lives following their diagnosis. The current treatment options for
prostate cancer include: cryotherapy, radical prostatectomy (surgical removal),
external beam radiation therapy and brachytherapy (seed implants).
“To
be fully informed a prostate cancer patient should see a Urologist to discuss
surgical options but and also see a Radiation Oncologist to discuss external
beam radiation therapy and brachytherapy,” said Dr. Kanady.
When
appropriate, a Radiation Oncologist may advise a patient about brachytherapy, a
popular minimally invasive procedure with equivalent cancer control rates to
surgery says Dr. Kanady. Commonly referred to as radiation "seed" implants,
brachytherapy involves implanting rice-sized radioactive pellets into the
prostate gland to kill cancerous cells.
Such products as Implant
Science’s I-Plant(TM) seeds are used in a unique "inside-out" radioactive
treatment. The implant procedure, in expert hands, takes about 30 minutes, and
the patients normally return home the same day.
The best candidates for
brachytherapy are those with early stage prostate cancer, but studies have
demonstrated excellent results in patients with more aggressive
cancers.
A recent study presented at the American College of Surgeons
demonstrated that implanting brachytherapy seeds into the prostates of men who
have undergone external radiation and now have recurrent prostate cancer is safe
and effective. Doctors initially believed too much radiation would cause undue
harm to the surrounding tissue.
In the end, the study concluded that
there were no major complications from the brachytherapy procedure. Four years
later, 70% of the men were free of prostate cancer.
“Brachytherapy is a
viable option for my patients. The cure rate is high and the long-term side
effects are less intrusive on a patient’s quality of life,” says Dr.
Kanady.
For more information on brachytherapy, log onto: www.implantsciences.com
or www.prostatecancerexperts.com
# # #
Source : http://www.prweb.com/releases/2004/10/prweb170083.htm