Late seed migration after prostate brachytherapy with Iod-125 permanent implants.

BACKGROUND: Seed migration is a common finding after low dose rate brachytherapy of the prostate. It has often been assessed soon after implantation, but little is known about late seed migration. We evaluated the incidence, site, symptoms, and therapeutic consequences of late seed migration more than 3 years postoperatively. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively examined the data of 63 unselected patients with transrectal ultrasound-guided, transperineal low dose rate brachytherapy of the prostate with stranded seeds between 2001 and 2010. A pelvic X-ray was taken the day after implantation and after 6 weeks in combination with a pelvic computed tomography/magnetic resonance imaging scan (image fusion) for dosimetry. Late radiological follow-up with a further pelvic and chest X-ray was conducted 3 or more years postoperatively. We differed between seed loss without anatomical detection and seed migration into another anatomical region. RESULTS: We found seed loss up to 3 years and more after brachytherapy in 36 of 63 patients (57%). Between one and nine seeds had been lost. Late seed migration after 3 or more years occurred in two of 36 patients (6%), with pelvic migration of one seed and extrapelvic migration of one seed to the lung and two seeds to the liver, respectively. All late seed migrations were asymptomatic and had no therapeutic consequences. CONCLUSION: Beside a frequent number of seed losses, seed migration 3 or more years after implantation was as well a frequent finding but seems to be asymptomatic. Long-term follow-up with complementary radiological controls could be helpful in detecting any rare complications.

PSA bounce after ¹²5I-brachytherapy for prostate cancer as a favorable prognosticator.

BACKGROUND: Permanent low-dose-rate brachytherapy (BT) with iodine 125 is an established curative treatment for localized prostate cancer. After treatment, prostate-specific antigen (PSA) kinetics may show a transient rise (PSA bounce). Our aim was to investigate the association of PSA bounce with biochemical control. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients treated with BT in Switzerland were registered in a prospective database. Only patients with a follow-up of at least 2 years were included in our analysis. Clinical follow-up and PSA measurements were assessed after 1.5, 3, 6, and 12 months, and annually thereafter. If PSA increased, additional follow-up visits were scheduled. Cases of PSA bounce were defined as a rise of at least 0.2 ng/ml above the initial PSA nadir with a subsequent decline to or below the initial nadir without treatment. Biochemical failure was defined as a rise to nadir + 2 ng/ml. RESULTS: Between March 2001 and November 2010, 713 patients with prostate cancer undergoing BT with at least 2 years of follow-up were registered. Median follow-up time was 41 months. Biochemical failure occurred in 28 patients (3.9 %). PSA bounce occurred in 173 (24.3 %) patients; only three (1.7 %) patients with PSA bounce developed biochemical failure, in contrast to 25 (4.6 %) patients without previous bounce (p < 0.05). The median time to bounce was 12 months, the median time to biochemical failure was 30 months. The median bounce increase was 0.78 ng/ml. Twenty-eight patients with bounce (16.5 %) had a transient PSA rise of + 2 ng/ml above the nadir. CONCLUSION: In most cases, an early increase in PSA after BT indicates PSA bounce and is associated with a lower risk of biochemical failure.

Re-implantation after insufficient primary 125-i permanent prostate brachytherapy.

INTRODUCTION: We describe five patients receiving a re-implantation (RI) after post-operative dosimetry of the primary 125-I permanent prostate brachytherapy (BT) for prostate cancer revealed an insufficient dose coverage. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Five out of 222 consecutive patients treated (from March, 2001 to August, 2012) with 125-I BT, received a RI after dosimetric verification by CT and MRI fusion four to eight weeks after implantation displayed an insufficient dose coverage. RIs were performed with 10 to 19 seeds, three to four months after primary intervention. Dosimetry after RI showed an improved and sufficient total dose coverage in all patients. RESULTS: At last follow-up (18 to 99 months, median 57 months), none of the patients had relevant implant associated side-effects. Functional outcome was comparable to patients after one-time implantation. PSA levels post intervention showed a decreasing tendency in 4 patients. One patient had a local recurrence after 12 months. CONCLUSION: In our series, approximately 2% of the patients treated with permanent prostate BT required a RI due to insufficient dose coverage. None of the patients who underwent RI experienced complications. Our series, although only with 5 cases and limited follow-up, along with other published reports, demonstrates good tolerability.