Destroy cancer while protecting healthy tissue

Brachytherapy is radiation therapy by placing the radioactive material in close contact to the tumor. Seed implants are a form of low dose rate brachytherapy used to treat prostate cancer. The other common form is high dose rate, or "HDR". The goal of brachytherapy is to kill cancer cells with radiation while preserving healthy tissue. Doctors use the tiny radioactive seeds to target the tumor while controling the area exposed to radiation.

Seeds can be left in place permanently, in which case they give off radiation for weeks or months, and are not removed once the radiation is gone.

Targeting affected areas with ultrasound
Ultrasound and sophisticated computer programs help guide the placement of the radioactive seeds. Ultrasound is a procedure in which high-energy sound waves are bounced off internal tissues or organs and make echoes. The echo patterns are shown on the screen of an ultrasound machine, forming a picture of body tissues called a sonogram.

Seed implants for treating prostate cancer 

Using the advanced technology of brachytherapy, the doctor is able to target cancerous areas of the prostate with higher doses of radiation. Typically the entire gland is treated because cancer is likely to be found in more than one area of the prostate gland.

Images of the prostate are taken and transferred to the treatment planning computer. The computer evaluates the exact position of the prostate and generates a three-dimensional plan that dictates the precise placement of the seeds to provide exactly the amount of radiation needed to cover 100% of the prostate gland while minimizing the exposure of healthy tissue such those in the urinary tract and rectum.

Prostate treatment takes just around an hour
The procedure takes about one hour, then the patient walks out of the clinic and is driven home by a friend or family member. Most patients are back to a normal routine within a day or two. Radiation exposure to other people is minimal, so restrictions are recommended only if the patient is returning to a setting where a newborn child or pregnant woman is present. 

Information attributed to The Prostate Seed Institute.