3: Should I consider temporary high-dose rate radiation implants?

At this time, we believe NO. There are currently no results available beyond five years for this treatment, compared to 13 years from a prostate seed implant. In addition, all men who have high-dose rate implants must have several weeks of external radiation AND multiple implant procedures with anesthesia. At times, men may have the needles sticking out of their body for up to 24 hours while they receive several radiation treatments. During this time period, the needles can cause significant discomfort, and even move to potentially harmful locations. In contrast, a prostate seed implant is a one-time only outpatient procedure that takes less than one hour. There is no significant movement of the seeds once they have been implanted.