More details of PC...
Prostate Cancer is the second most common cause of cancer deaths in men and numbers are rising each year. Men aged 40 onwards are at risk. www.hammersmithresearch.com.
How many?
30,000 men are diagnosed with Prostate Cancer in the UK every year. Prostate Cancer statistics show that 10,000 die from the disease, many not being diagnosed early enough.
Famous Sufferers...
Gianni Agnelli (died 2006), George Carman, QC (died 2001), Frank Zappa (died 1993)
Who's at risk?
Regular health checks are advised and request for a PSA test should be included. Ask you GP for details and look out for the advertised Awareness Weeks in the press and TV. www.prostate-cancer.co.uk
Have I got PC?
As there are often no signs or indications from self examination, middle aged men should ask their GP for a PSA blood test as part of their regular medical check-ups.
PSA Test
A Prostate Specific Antigen blood test will give the doctor a more positive indication of what, if any, other investigations are required.
PSA Test
www.prostate-cancer.org.uk
This appeal is made to raise awareness of this life treating disease.
What is Brachytherapy?
About Brachytherapy
Derived from ancient Greek words for short distance (brachy) and treatment (therapy), it is a seed implantation and used in the treatment of prostate cancer. Radioactive "seeds" are carefully placed inside of the cancerous tissue and positioned in a manner that will attack the cancer most efficiently. Brachytherapy has now been used for many years for the treatment of prostate cancer and has been proven to be very effective and safe, providing a good alternative to surgical removal of the prostate whilst reducing the risk of certain long-term side effects.
In the treatment of prostate cancer, the radioactive seeds are about the size of a grain of rice, and give off radiation that travels only a few millimeters to kill nearby cancer cells. With permanent implants for prostate cancer, the radioactivity of the seeds decays with time while the actual seeds permanently stay within the treatment area.
A few days before your procedure, you will be given specific instructions about preparation, including diet and enemas. These instructions are very important to follow, as they will make sure that the ultrasound image of your prostate will be clear.
Prostate volume study - Either before or during your procedure, your doctor will locate your prostate and take several ultrasound images showing the exact location and size of your prostate. These images help your doctor and practitioners to determine the number of seeds needed and their location to most effectively treat your cancer.
During the Procedure
Brachytherapy is usually an inpatient procedure, but you most likely will not have to spend more than one or two nights at the hospital. The actual procedure takes approximately 1 hour. Most people receive general anaesthesia, but it can be done under a spinal anaesthetic which means that you are numb from the waist down. You may also receive medication to make you feel drowsy.
An ultrasound probe is inserted into the rectum, which will show the prostate gland on a television monitor, to aid the doctors in placement of the seeds. The seeds are then implanted into the prostate through very thin needles. Depending on different variables, between 50 and 100 seeds are used. The needles are inserted into the skin between the scrotum and rectum and are guided to the right place to most effectively treat the cancer. At the end of the procedure, a catheter may be left in your bladder to help you pass urine during recovery.
After the Procedure
You will be taken to a recovery room after the procedure until the anaesthesia wears off, which usually takes a couple of hours. While you are recovering, an ice bag is placed in the treatment area to help reduce any bruising. The urinary catheter may be removed when the anaesthesia wears off, but is sometimes left in overnight.
Once you go home, you can resume your normal eating habits, have visitors, and get back to normal life. You should avoid heavy lifting and strenuous physical activity for a few days and follow the specific instructions that your doctor gives you when you are released from the hospital. Generally, patients resume their normal activities within 4 or 5 days.
Immediate Side Effects
Directly following the procedure, you can expect some soreness and swelling in the treatment area, sometimes accompanied by bruising. It is usually mild, and only lasts for a couple of days. Your doctor can prescribe pain medication if necessary.
Short-Term Side Effects
You may also experience some side effects in the first couple of days after the procedure caused by the instruments used during the procedure. These include slight bleeding beneath the scrotum or blood in your urine. These side effects are normal and aren't causes for concern; however, if the bleeding becomes severe or there are large blood clots appearing in your urine, you should contact your doctor. You should always adhere to your doctor's instructions, and ask as many questions as you need to understand what has happened, and will happen to your body.
There are side effects that don't appear for a few days or a week after the implant that are caused by the radiation that is being emitted into your prostate from the seeds. You will probably experience frequent, urgent, or uncomfortable urination. These symptoms persist for a few weeks but then decrease in severity as time goes on, as the seeds lose their radioactive strength. Your doctor will instruct you to drink plenty of water to help relieve these symptoms.
Long-Term Side Effects
There is a small chance that you may become incontinent or impotent. . Patients over the age of 70 are more likely to be affected in this manner. Based on earlier reports, the rates of these long-term side effects seem to be much lower with brachytherapy than with radical prostatectomy.You will become infertile after this treatment. Be sure to discuss any concerns with your doctor.
Safety of Radiation
The seeds used in prostate brachytherapy emit a low level of radiation that doesn't travel very far. It usually doesn't travel beyond the prostate. Sometimes, very small amounts of radiation can reach other people should a seed be passed while urinating, or from the tiny amount of radiation that travels through the air. Because there is such a small amount of radiation involved, it is not considered a risk to others; however, small children and pregnant women are more sensitive to the effects of radiation, so additional precautions may be recommended by your doctor after the procedure. Ask your doctor questions about what the precautions should be, or any other questions that you have about the safety of the radiation used in brachytherapy treatments.
Follow-Up
Your doctor will tell you how often you need to be seen after the brachytherapy procedure. You need to be checked for treatment progress, treatment side effects and to make sure that the cancer has not recurred. The schedule will often be more frequent during the first 5 years following treatment.
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