Surgery was once thought to be the only answer to prostate cancer, but prostate seed implantation (brachytherapy) has been shown to have a less severe impact on the patient yet achieve the same results. It is often a preferred treatment option in cases involving smaller tumors that have not spread beyond the prostate gland. 

Dr. Bernard Percarpio of The Harold Leever Regional Cancer Center was the first physician in the Northeast to perform the procedure back in 1992. Since that time, he has treated more than 450 patients with the procedure.

Typically, brachytherapy is performed collaboratively by a urologist and a radiation oncologist. It involves surgically implanting small titanium capsules containing a radioactive material to attack the prostate tumor. The radiation in the capsules dissipates within a year. The procedure usually lasts only about an hour or two, and is performed under general anesthesia.  For more information, please click here.