cancer patient.
When WMCC radiation oncologist Mazen Mislmani, MD meets with a new prostate cancer patient, he makes sure there is adequate time to cover everything during the consult. That is because there are so many factors to weigh and treatment options to consider. “Not all prostate cancer cases are created equal,” according to Dr. Mislmani. “It is a heterogeneous disease, which means there can be many differences from one patient to the next.”
Because of those differences, treatment is highly personalized. “There are a number of pathways I consider for my patients including treatment with external beam radiation, internal radiation (brachytherapy), surgery, hormone therapy and active surveillance,” said Dr. Mislmani. “The exciting news is that we are adding a very effective tool within one of these pathways.”
The procedure is called high-dose-rate (HDR) brachytherapy (pronounced bray-kee-THER-apee). It’s a form of radiation therapy where patients receive one to two internal radiation treatments under general anesthesia. “It involves placing radioactive sources in the prostate gland to deliver a high dose of radiation internally” said Dr.Mislmani. “Delivering radiation this way is extremely effective. It allows for dose escalation to the prostate, while minimizing dose to surrounding tissues like the bladder, rectum and bowels.”
“It’s an effective, convenient, treatment option for some patients”, said Dr. Mislmani
