A new procedure is being offered to patients with early stage prostate cancer at the Hôpital régional de Sudbury Regional Hospital (HRSRH) Regional Cancer Program (RCP). Called Radiation Prostate Seed Implant, the treatment enhances patient care by significantly reducing a patient’s overall treatment time.
“We are one of only six cancer programs in Ontario that are able to perform this procedure and the only provider of this service in the northeast. Prior to this, patients had to travel to Toronto for this care which for some patients may be an alternative to surgery and radiation delivered outside the body, so we are pleased to offer this treatment closer to home,” says Bertha Paulse, RCP Vice President.
Led by Dr. Julie Bowen, Medical Director of Radiation Treatment, and Dr. Randy Bissett, Radiation Oncologist, the Program is the result of a tremendous amount of work in consultation with urologists and a team of anaesthesiologists, medical physicists, dosimetrists, nurses and radiation therapists.
The first procedure was successfully completed in November, 2006. Dr. Julie Bowen explains, “The main advantage to this procedure is that it only requires three appointments for the patient to receive the seed implant procedure, compared to 35-40 appointments if the patient undergoes external radiation treatments.”
The procedure works by implanting permanent radioactive iodine seeds directly into the prostate using ultrasound guidance while the patient is under spinal anaesthesia. These give off all their radiation over the course of a year. The radiation poses no risk to the general public. According to Dr. Bissett, “The procedure only takes about two hours and does not require the patient to stay overnight in hospital.”
Both doctors caution that the procedure is only offered to patients meeting specific clinical criteria and who have early stage prostate cancer. Candidates are referred to the program and are screened by Dr. Bowen and Dr. Bissett before they are considered for the treatment.
