[MRI-guided brachytherapy in prostate cancer]

Abstract

The number of patients treated for prostate cancer by radiotherapy treatment has increased substantially over recent decades. However, after both external radiotherapy and brachytherapy, a subset of patients still develops recurrent disease during follow-up. In many patients these recurrences are often limited to one localisation in the prostate. In the past, on diagnosis of a recurrence, palliative hormonal treatment was started. Medical imaging by means of a CT scan was not adequate for delineating the recurrent lesion or for excluding metastases. In case where radiotherapy was considered the best treatment for the recurrence, this often resulted in serious adverse effects. Due to improvements in both imaging and radiotherapy techniques, it is now possible to target the local recurrent lesion only. In recurring prostate cancer this technique is known as focal salvage.