Regarding a comment by bsel1946: “ The doctors did not recommend Brachy therapy. I was told that this was not as effective as IMRT because the radiation seeds can "float" whereby good tissue as well as the cancer cells can be exposed to the radiation.”

Actually, from my understanding, high-dose-rate (HDR) brachytherapy spares much of the surrounding healthy tissue, whereas IMRT photon therapy is basically x-rays that travel through healthy tissue to get to the target, then through healthy tissue again to exit the body.

Remember that there are two types of brachytherapy: HDR (2 procedures in 2 weeks and you’re done) and no radioactivity is left inside your prostate. This is the type of treatment that I have chosen.

With low-dose rate (LDR), seeds are implanted and stay in your prostate forever.

As the names imply, HDR involves very highly radioactive isotopes (seeds), and they are placed in the prostate exactly where they are needed and are withdrawn within a few seconds. Whereas LDR is low radioactivity, and the seeds stay in your prostate, emitting a low dose of radiation over several months.

Thanks for all the great comments. I love Mayo Connect!

Jim