Prostate brachytherapy has come of age: a review of the technique and results

Brachytherapy for early prostate cancer provides an effective treatment, with good long-term results now available to support its use. It offers a low risk of urinary incontinence, with potency and sexual function frequently preserved. Brachytherapy is administered as a day-case or overnight-stay procedure and is sought by increasing numbers of patients. The technique appears to have an acceptable morbidity when balanced against the risk of mortality from the underlying disease. For example, Albertsen et al. [3] showed that a 62-year-old man with a Gleason 5 cancer has a < 10% chance of dying from his disease in the subsequent 15 years. However, prostate brachytherapy is not free of side-effects and patient selection, as in all medicine, is critical in avoiding prolonged urinary symptoms.