NEW YORK, Jan. 31 More than 90 percent of men with permanent radiation seed implants to treat prostate cancer are cured eight years after diagnosis, says a U.S. study.Seed implants have become a widely accepted treatment option for early-stage prostate cancer because it is very effective at curing the cancer, is minimally invasive and often spares patients from side effects of other treatments, such as impotence and incontinence. The seeds, similar in size to a grain of rice, contain a radiation dose that, once implanted, delivers concentrated radiation to the prostate, sparing surrounding organs and tissue.Nearly 2,700 men were studied at 11 U.S. institutions over eight years. The radioactive seeds were administered with the aid of ultrasound-guided techniques to accurately place the seeds in the prostate gland. The patients received the seed implants as the sole treatment for prostate cancer with no additional chemotherapy or radiation therapy.This study is exciting because it shows that brachytherapy alone without additional surgery, radiation or drugs can be effective at curing early-stage prostate cancer, said lead author Dr. Michael J. Zelefsky of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York. Copyright 2007 by UPI
