Dr Scholz' Opinion on Brachytherapy

I haven't received this treatment myself but it could be a future option for me. Dr Scholz says that it is rarely recommended because so few practitioners include it in their bag of tricks. There are politics and economics involved -- other treatments (gasp) are more profitable for urologists! Dr Scholz has a high regard for the efficacy of this treatment.

[6357axbz]

link doesn’t work

[Jancapper]

ADT + HDBT + EBRT in stated order for me.

[cesces in reply to Jancapper]

What's HBDT?

Why not all three together?

[Vynbal in reply to cesces]

Often called HDR-BT, High Dose Rate Brachytherapy is commonly called "Temporary Seeds." It involves the insertion of multiple tubes into the prostate and then sliding in highly radioactive material for a short period and then removing material and tubes. It allows for highly targeted, concentrated internal radiation with minimal exposure to surrounding tissue.

[Hidden in reply to Vynbal]

I recall Andy Grove, the CEO of Intel at the time, getting this treatment way back when.

[Jancapper in reply to cesces]

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articl...

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articl...

[cesces]

I had it in conjunction with imrt radiation.

The Doc seemed quite proud of his brachytherapy skills and claimed part of his practice was correcting botched jobs done by others. But he is located in Florida.

[rococo in reply to cesces]

what’s the name of the doctor in florida

[cesces in reply to rococo]

Dr. Michael Dattoli, Dattoli Cancer Center, 2803 Fruitville Rd., Sarasota, FL 34237, 1-877-328-8654

[rococo in reply to cesces]

Thanks. Cesar’s, Hope legal affairs are resolved

[cesces in reply to rococo]

What legal affairs?

[cesces in reply to rococo]

Hmmmm

Seems very strange and petty?

[Schwah]

I’d like TA to weigh in. I think he’s come to the same conclusion. Interestingly when I was investigating various treatments, I went to Loma Linda where they pushed very hard on their $100,000 machine. We met with the doctor there in my wife at the end of the appointment asked him if it was his other brother what would he recommend. Amazingly he said seeds which are what Brachytherapy really is. He too said it is not used very often because it’s the least reimbursed treatment so very few physicians want to learn it.

Schwah

[Hidden]

I had two RO’s for my primary treatment. The first, only did Brachytherapy. The second, only did IMRT. This was in 2003. They practiced 200 miles apart, but at one time were roommates in the Ait Force as young Doctors.

GD

[TylexGP]

I went to MSK one of the pioneers in Brachytherapy Started ADT +Zytiga, 2 months prior to HDR Brachytherapy with RO who specializes in Brachytherapy and a month later EBRT with my “Regular” RO.

[Joeym1040]

Had that treatment in Feb 2000, in Nashua NH. Was clean until Oct 2011. On ADT since then.

[cancerfox]

The Urology Group in the Cincinnati, Ohio area (US) seem to do a lot of brachytherapy procedures, and their processes and doctors seem pretty impressive. The only drawback for me was that the general anesthesia used during the seeds insertion left me woozy for several hours, and I got car sick on the way home.

[kreg001]

I had salvage brachytherapy following biochemical recurrence after initial ADT w IGIMRT. Eventually had another biochemical recurrence that Lupron ADT, with side effects including crippling painful calve muscles, knocked back and am now doing bicalutamide mono therapy. No side effects. I can walk again. The brachytherapy burned away all of my prostate. DRE is no longer possible. No semen production. Very painful dry climax sex. And, I endure stress incontinence. Being alive, enjoying our third grandchild, is more than adequate compensation.

[watertender]

I received HDR brachy at UCLA Albert Chang. It does seem like there are not alot of folks doing it mostly the low dose seed treatment. Had EBRT afterwards,25 sessions, so far so good, fingers crossed. PCRI has an interview on this with Dr. Demanes you might want to checkout, he has since retired and Chang took over the program.

[Bacana]

My husband had brachytherapy along with external beam radiation in 1999. Currently he is experiencing complications and will need a urethroplasty.