New Prostate Cancer Treatment Brachytherapy Introduced

Prostate cancer patients now have a new treatment option which involves a shorter period of time and has fewer side effects. The new prostate cancer treatment combines the use of the radioactive isotope Cesium-131 with External Beam Radiation Therapy (EBT) in a procedure called brachytherapy. The Arnold Palmer Prostate Center at Eisenhower Lucy Curci Cancer Center in Palm Springs, California, recently introduced the world's first dual therapy which combines Cesium-131 brachytherapy with EBT.

Brachytherapy involves implanting radioactive seeds into the tumor site in the prostate gland. The radiation kills the cancer cells or arrests the growth of cancer with minimal damage to healthy tissue. That helps prevent incontinence and preserves the nerves needed for erection. Brachytherapy usually involves little discomfort and is done as an outpatient procedure.

Cesium-131 holds an advantage over other isotopes such as Iodine-125 and Palladium-103. Cesium-131 has a higher energy and a shorter half-life, resulting in a lower total dose of radiation. Cesium-131 has a half-life of about 10 days, compared to a half-life of 17 days for Palladium-103 and 60 days for Iodine-125. A shorter half-life means the dose can be delivered faster, cancer cells have less opportunity to repopulate, and normal healthy tissue gets less protracted radiation. Since the energy of Cesium-131 is stronger, fewer radioactive seeds are required to be implanted in the prostate. This reduces the risk of urinary complications.

EBT uses a state-of-the-art linear accelerator machine to deliver radiation to a specific location such as the prostate gland. The procedure is comparable to having an X-ray. The treatment is painless and lasts for only a few minutes.

The prostate gland is part of the male reproductive system. It is a walnut-sized gland that surrounds the urethra, which carries urine from the bladder to the penis. The prostate secretes seminal fluid that combines with sperm during ejaculation.

One out of six men in the United States will develop prostate cancer over the course of their lifetime. Symptoms of prostate cancer include:

- Frequent urination, especially at night
- Difficulty starting the flow of urination
- Weak or interrupted flow of urine
- Painful or burning urination
- Blood in urine or semen
- Difficulty in having an erection
- Painful ejaculation

Men who experience any of the above symptoms should consult their doctor immediately. Men who have a family history of prostate cancer or who are over the age of 50 should have an annual prostate cancer screening. The screening includes a blood test to measure the prostate specific antigen (PSA) and a digital rectal exam. If you are an African -American male, you should consider having a prostate cancer screening beginning at age 45. According to the Prostate Cancer Foundation, more than 232,000 men in the U.S. will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2006 - 30,000 will die as a result of the disease.