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High Dose Rate implants for prostate cancer are now offered at Monmouth
Medical Center , Newark Beth Israel
Medical Center and Community Medical
Center as an exciting non-surgical alternative for locally advanced
disease. This novel approach referred by some as the
"smart bomb" and featured in a FORTUNE magazine article by Intel Chairman
Andy Grove involves implanting temporary catheters into the prostate,
in a minimally invasive one-hour operative procedure. Concentrated high
pulsed doses of radiation are then delivered with the aid of computer
planning into the prostate, delivered through these catheters.
Treatments are individualized to conform to the prostate shape, in
order to spare normal surrounding tissue. Unlike conventional permanent
seed implants the dose to the prostate can be individualized through
varying the amount of time the radiation source spends in each position
in each needle. Additionally this allows the physician to minimize
dose to the urethra and rectum which may reduce potential side effects.
 Treatments are delivered over a 36 hour period with only
a one-night hospital stay. The implant is temporary, and is removed
prior to the patient leaving the hospital. This treatment is then supplemented
by a short course of conformal external radiation therapy. Side effects
are minimal allowing the patient to be treated in an outpatient fashion.
Recovery time is quick, with most patients returning to their normal
lifestyle routine during therapy. Results with this approach are promising,
and appear comparable if not superior to standard external radiation
alone for locally advanced disease. HDR has the advantage of shortening
the overall course of therapy, while delivering higher doses of radiation
to the cancer with greater precision.
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