Treatment - Radiation Therapy



External beam radiotherapy is most commonly used together after MRI scan and CT scan have determined the area to target on.

More advanced are Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT) that allows oncologist to target high dose of radiation to the prostate area while keeping other adjacent tissue to a minumum level of radiation exposure.

Prostate Cancer: Radiation Option

(Video courtesy of uabhealth)

Radiation therapy are usually carried out as often as five days a week for seven to eight weeks done in the outpatient facilities.


Branchytherapy

Patients who do not wish to make visits to the hospital almost everyday in a week can opt for a little insertion called branchytherapy. Small seeds of radioactive substance is planted at the prostate gland using needles.

These seeds will give out radiation over the following months to kill off prostate cancer cells much like in a normal radiation therapy. About a year later, what is left of the seeds no longer emit radiation and is harmless to the body.

Dosage and professional experience is crucial to achieve success in radiation therapy. Again, look for a doctor that have plenty of experience and someone whom you can trust and be comfortable with.