What are the radiation treatment options for low risk early stage prostate cancer?
The treatment options for prostate cancer depend on the characteristics of the tumor. Early stage prostate cancer treatment is drastically different than that of late stage prostate cancer. Low-risk, early-stage prostate cancer is defined as prostate cancer that is confined to the prostate gland, which typically means a PSA less than or equal to 10, and Gleason score less than or equal to 6, with examination. Surgery with radical prostatectomy has been considered historically to be the “gold standard.” However, current data with high-dose radiation has shown very good success rate in treating prostate cancer. The common radiation options for this subset of patients are external beam radiation, brachytherapy with seeds implant or the combination of both. With external beam radiation, technology has enabled us to push the amount of radiation dose higher while keeping the side effects minimal. With brachytherapy, patients are able to get the treatment in one day. However, patients usually
