Prostate cancer, the most common cancer in men over age 50 in the United States, according to the Merck Manual, affects around 219,000 men each year and was responsible for around 27,000 deaths in 2007. The prostate, a walnut-sized gland found under the bladder and wraps around the urethra, transports urine and semen through the penis. Treatment for prostate cancer includes surgery, radiation and chemotherapy. Brachytherapy, the implantation of radiation seeds near the prostate, delivers radiation to the tumor for over 3 to 6 months before becoming inactive. Like any cancer treatment, brachytherapy has risks.
Seed Migration
Seeds occasionally migrate into the semen or urine. Men are advised to avoid intercourse for two weeks after seed implantation and to use a condom for the first two months following the implantation when the radiation risk is highest, in order to avoid transmitting the seed to a sexual partner, MayoClinic.com advises.
Radiation Exposure to Others
Although the radiation risk to others is below the amount of yearly recommended exposure, according to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, men with seeds should avoid close contact, less than six feet, with pregnant women and children for the first two months after implant. Holding children on the lap for prolonged periods is not recommended for the first two months, warns the Mayo Clinic.
Rectal Complications
Because the seeds are inserted through the perineum, the area between the scrotum and rectum, rectal symptoms may occur after seed implantation. Potential problems include severe hemorrhoids, which can last for 10 to 12 weeks after seed placement, rectal bleeding or ulceration and prostatorectal fistulas, an abnormal opening between the prostate and rectum, according to the Merck Manual. Bowel movements may increase and urgency may occur.
Genito-Urinary Complications
Impotence can occur for up to a year or more after seed implantation, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. Unlike surgery, which causes impotence immediately after surgery, impotence, or the inability to maintain an erection, increases for a year or longer after seed implantation. Other urinary complications include urgency, and urinary retention, which occurs in up to 10 percent of patients, Richard Whittington, M.D., of the Abramson Cancer Center of the University of Pennsylvania, reports.
