Internal radiation therapy, also known as brachytherapy, continues to be a viable option for treating prostate cancer. Have you ever wondered if you would be the right candidate for that sort of therapy? Or how brachytherapy works in treating prostate cancer?

We are excited to have a special guest with us on the show today! Dr. Ronald Chen is an internationally renowned radiation oncologist and prostate cancer expert, and he is joining us to answer those questions and some other ones and discuss some of the recent advances in brachytherapy. Stay tuned for more!

Dr. Chen is currently the Department Chair of Radiation Oncology at the University of Kansas Medical Center. He has helped write many of the national standards and guidelines on the treatment of prostate cancer, and he lectures across the US and internationally on the treatment of prostate cancer. His research interests involve the long-term outcomes of prostate cancer patients and survivors. That includes the effectiveness and long-term quality of life effects of the different treatments for prostate cancer. He completed his residency training at the Harvard Radiation Oncology Program in Boston, and he served on the faculty at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill before becoming the Chair of Radiation Oncology at KU in 2019. Be sure to listen in today to find out all you need to know about brachytherapy as a viable treatment option for prostate cancer.

Disclaimer: The Prostate Health Podcast is for informational purposes only. Nothing in this podcast should be construed as medical advice. By listening to the podcast, no physician-patient relationship has been formed. For more information and counseling, you must contact your personal physician or urologist with questions about your unique situation.

Show highlights:

• Dr. Chen explains what brachytherapy is.
• How brachytherapy works in treating prostate cancer.
• The benefits of brachytherapy.
• Dr. Chen explains how the implants are placed technically inside the prostate.
• Dr. Chen describes how he maps out where the brachytherapy seeds go.
• Dr. Chen discusses whether or not brachytherapy involves a permanent implant, how long the implant stays in the prostate, and how long the implants remain active inside of someone.
• Some precautions that men need to take while the seeds are still active inside of them.
• The difference between low dose rate brachytherapy and high dose rate brachytherapy.
• Dr. Chen explains who he would and would not consider a viable candidate for brachytherapy.
• Some of the risks of using brachytherapy to treat prostate cancer.What men should expect from their PSA following brachytherapy.

Some of the future changes or advances that Dr. Chen sees coming down the pipeline for brachytherapy for prostate cancer.

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Dr. Ronald Chen's website