Advice on temporary brachytherapy

Hi David,

I had HDR Brachytherapy last February.

I had it as a 'salvage' job as I had initially had conventional EBRT (External Beam Radiation therapy) back in 2009, by 2013 my PSA was starting to rise again.

You can get all the detail on my profile.

Basically it was a sinch, two stays in hospital, first 3 days & 2 nights for the template biopsy, followed by another 3 days & 2 nights for the actual treatment, so given that I could plan ahead it was rather less desruptive to my life than the month of daily visits needed for EBRT.

And it doesn't hurt as you are given a general anethsetic, best fun was spent with the enema nurse the night before treatment! 

The side effects were also minimal, within a month of treatment I was fully continent and able to spend a night at the pub.

After six months I presumed all was done and dusted, I had forgotten about the treatment and got on with my life.

However pride goes before a fall and in August/September I came down with prostate infection, and subsequently experienced symptoms consistent with radiation cystitis.

Whether these were delayed side effects of standard HDR brachytherapy, or complications from having two blasts of RT, or just bad luck / routine infections I do not know.  They were soon sorted out, but I am on Tamsulosin now, no great problem just one more tablet to take every day.

As I side issue, a bit of a joke, when putting me on Tamsulosin my Consultant told me 'You must take one of these tablets every day for the rest of your life', he then wrote me a perscription for 30 tablets!   

But 90 days later I am still here, still continent, still going down the pub.

On a more serious note I gathered from the Doctors that their belief is that HDR Brachytherapy will ultimately replace external beam treatment, because with the radioactive probes actually inserted into your tumour, they can give the cancer a lot more radiation while there is not so much colateral damage inflicted on surrounding tissues.

Certainly I exeperienced none of the bowel issues normally associated with EBRT.

:)

Dave 

Hi David, My husband, also a David is due to have HD Brachytherapy hopefully quite soon, he has been on hormone treatment since October 2015. He is waiting to hear about dates, two weeks after the HD Brachy, he is having a course of radiotherapy. We live in mid Wales so all this treatment is talk place about 3 hours drive away from home.Thankfully we are both determined types.
Do let us know how you get on.

Leila.

Thanks for the information. What Gleason score did your OH have ? 

Leila.

My older brother had the HD Brachy in 2013 followed by 15 sessions of External Beam RT in 2013. His Gleason score was 9 and original PSA 14 but the cancer was still contained within the capsule.

He also had 20 months on Bicalutamide.

He did have to take Tamsulosin for a bit after the brachy but he has done very well on this treatment plan and his PSA level is now negligible. He found the whole process quite acceptable and he was doing a bit of light home decoration 3 days after the brachy.

Hi Dave,

I have wondered why forum rules are that we should not name consultants, yet we can link to a video by a Consultant/Doctor which clearly states his/her name. I guess it is because of possible comebacks if perhaps a derogatory reference is made or maybe somebody was recommended and there was alleged negligence by a person acting on the recommendation on this PCUK forum with potential litigation. Anybody else have any ideas why?

Good you were happy with Prof H and your treatment. As less well known treatments become more widely available, it is going to make it even more difficult for patients and consultants to decide best option.