Topics:
Radiation Oncology • Genitourinary Cancers
How does the risk of urinary obstruction differ between HDR and LDR brachytherapy for prostate cancer?
Is it true that urinary obstruction can improve with HDR brachy, as it can have an ablative effect on the prostate?
Answer from: Radiation Oncologist at Academic Institution
I think it is important to clarify and distinguish between urinary retention and urinary obstructive symptoms for this clinical scenario. In general, the likelihood of urinary retention requiring catheter placement after the brachytherapy procedure is less than 5% with either high-dose rate brachyth...
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Answer from: Radiation Oncologist at Academic Institution
In general, the urinary obstruction rate after prostate brachytherapy should be very low, < 1% with HDR. A good brachytherapist will get good outcomes because brachytherapy is very very operator dependent and much much less modality dependent. However, I do think HDR has an advantage ...