Is brachytherapy better than EBRT?

The authors conclude that surgery and brachytherapy with EBRT showed comparable overall survival. Both modalities were superior to EBRT alone. Furthermore, brachytherapy with EBRT showed superior overall survival compared with surgery or EBRT alone.

What are the advantages of brachytherapy?

Is very effective in treating cancer as the radiation is delivered with a high level of accuracy. Has a minimized risk of side effects, due to the targeted and precise nature of delivering the radiotherapy from inside the body. Is a minimally invasive technique – i.e. it doesn’t involve extensive surgery.

How has radiation therapy improved over the years?

Two major driving forces have come together that improved the treatment efficacy of radiotherapy in recent years. One is the advancement of technology of dose conformity such as IMRT, SBRT, and IGRT, allowing more precise delivery of high-dose radiation to the target volume with reduced injury on healthy tissues.

Does brachytherapy cause impotence?

Conclusion: Both RT and brachytherapy result in high rates of ED. Although arterial damage seems to be the main cause of ED after RT, exposure of neurovascular bundle to high levels of radiation dose has been also implicated in some studies with brachytherapy.

Can you have a prostatectomy after brachytherapy?

Local recurrence after any type of radiation therapy presents the clinician with a significant challenge. If there is no evidence of metastatic disease, patients can be offered a potentially curative salvage prostatectomy.

Is brachytherapy better than external beam radiation?

By a meta-analysis of randomized trials, we found that Brachytherapy boost yields better results compared to External beam radiation therapy boost, notably for intermediate and high-risk prostate cancers. Brachytherapy boost could be considered as a new standard of care.

What is the best radiotherapy machine?

A medical linear accelerator (LINAC) is the device most commonly used for external beam radiation treatments for patients with cancer. It delivers high-energy x-rays or electrons to the region of the patient’s tumor.

How long does erectile dysfunction last after brachytherapy?

About 25 to 50% of men who undergo brachytherapy will experience erectile dysfunction vs. nearly 50% of men who have standard external beam radiation. After two to three years, few men will see much of an improvement and occasionally these numbers worsen over time.

What is the latest treatment for erectile dysfunction after radical prostatectomy?

Your doctor may prescribe medications like sildenafil, vardenafil, or tadalafil after your surgery. These medications work by increasing blood flow to the penis, which may restore the ability to have an erection.

Does brachytherapy improve overall survival for high-risk prostate cancer?

A previous study comparing external beam radiation therapy with/without brachytherapy (EBRT±BT) and radical prostatectomy (RP) for high-risk localized prostate cancer (PCa) did not find a difference in overall survival (OS) between the treatments. However, this study was limited by short follow-up a …

Is radical prostatectomy necessary for high-risk prostate cancer?

PATIENT SUMMARY: In an analysis restricted to young and healthy men presenting with high-risk localized prostate cancer, initial radical prostatectomy is associated with an overall survival benefit compared with external beam radiation therapy plus brachytherapy.

What is the success rate of brachytherapy for erectile dysfunction?

In the brachytherapy series from Seattle, the 7-year success rate (PSA < or =0.5 ng/mL) was 79%. Postoperatively, 68% of the patients who were potent preoperatively maintained erectile function, and 92% were fully continent.

What is the difference between brachytherapy and keyhole surgery?

Compared to brachytherapy (and other forms of radiotherapy), the key features and advantages of keyhole surgery are: Growing evidence that surgery (and particularly robotic surgery) is better in terms of long-term cancer survival rates. The prostate is removed entirely. Existing urinary symptoms are solved too.