Prostate Seed Implants

Patients who are diagnosed with early stage prostate cancer may be eligible to receive a permanent prostate seed implant. Using ultrasound, a radiation oncologist can map out the exact dimensions of the patient’s prostate to determine the exact number of seeds needed to properly cover the tumor volume. The radioactive seeds may be either Iodine 125 or Palladium 103 seeds.

Each seed is a small tube that is approximately 1 millimeter in width and 5 millimeters in length. A normal sized prostate would require approximately 100 seeds for adequate coverage. In the operating room and under anesthesia, the physician loads hollow needles with the seeds and surgically implants them into the prostate through the perineum. Each individual seed emits a very low level of radiation that can only penetrate a few millimeters. Therefore, surrounding structures that can be damaged by radiation such as the bladder, urethra, and rectum, are out of the seeds’ emission range. A high percentage of the radiation dose is delivered only to the prostate volume.