High dose rate (HDR) brachytherapy, also known as temporary
brachytherapy, involves inserting a source of high-dose radiation
into the prostate gland for a few minutes at a time to destroy
cancer cells. It is not available at every treatment centre in the
UK.
You may be suitable for this treatment if your cancer is thought
to be contained within the prostate gland (localised prostate cancer)
and is 'intermediate risk'. Your cancer may be described as
intermediate risk if:
Some men whose prostate cancer is beginning to spread to the
area just outside the prostate (locally advanced prostate
cancer), or with higher Gleason scores, may be able to have HDR
brachytherapy. Check with your specialist team.
You may have this treatment on its own or you may have it
together with external beam radiotherapy and/or hormone
therapy.
There is another type of brachytherapy called permanent
seed or low dose rate brachytherapy that involves implanting
tiny radioactive seeds into the prostate.
What other
treatments are available?
Updated November 2010
To be reviewed November 2012