Prostate Seed Implants - What Can You Expect? In terms of illnesses that particularly affect adult men, there isn't any doubt that cancer of the prostate is right there at the very top. After all, cancer of the prostate is one of the leading causes with respect to cancer deaths in men, and is next only to lung cancer. According to a recent statistics provided by the American Cancer Society, one out of 36 cancer patients have died due to this cancer type. It's a good thing that the advancement in the field of medicine has produced numerous procedures which can be used to treat a patient suffering from prostate cancer. One procedure that is getting a substantial amount of recognition these days is prostate seed implant.
What Are Prostate Seed Implants?
Prostate seed implants is reliant upon the usage of radioactive seeds that are as small as rice grains. These radioactive seeds are titanium-made and consist of a small amount of iodine or palladium. Following the implantation of the seeds, they are going to emit a rigorous quantity of radiation that will reach the cancer inside the prostate. Regions beyond the prostate like the bladder and rectum are going to be reached with radiation too, even though the amount is negligible. After several months, the seeds will become inactive permanently. This procedure relies on the idea that cancer tissues are much more responsive to radiation. With this, one can selectively eliminate cancer cells. It is also known for its other name Brachytherapy.
The Procedure
Prostate cancer seed implants is a procedure that could take place in only less than an hour. So upon receiving the treatment in the morning, you can choose to go home a few hours later. The patient will be administered with a light general anesthetic and then, very thin needles will be injected. The radioactive seeds will be implanted using the needles. The best thing is that the procedure doesn't require cutting or stitches. Patients who have received the treatment rarely complain about the pain and a catheter isn't even required. After the procedure is concluded and the effects of the anesthetics is gone, the patients may go home and even go back to work the following day.
Known Side Effects
Given that incisions and stitches aren't required, patients claim to only have marginal discomfort upon completion. Probably the most typical side effect is the irritability in the urinary stream that could continue for a couple of months. It is possible that patients may feel discomfort while peeing. Urinary urgency and frequency are also increased. Although it is far less common, patients may also experience erectile dysfunction. It's a good thing that many of these side effects can be relieved using proper medication.
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