Salvage brachytherapy for locally recurrent prostate cancer after external beam radiotherapy

Abstract

External beam radiotherapy (EBRT) is a standard treatment for prostate cancer. Despite the development of novel radiotherapy techniques such as intensity-modulated conformal radiotherapy, the risk of local recurrence after EBRT has not been obviated. Various local treatment options (including salvage prostatectomy, brachytherapy, cryotherapy, and high-intensity focused ultrasound [HIFU]) have been employed in cases of local recurrence after primary EBRT. Brachytherapy is the first-line treatment for low-risk and selected intermediate-risk prostate tumors. However, few studies have examined the use of brachytherapy to treat post-EBRT recurrent prostate cancer. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the current state of our knowledge about the effects of salvage brachytherapy in patients who develop locally recurrent prostate cancer after primary EBRT. This article also introduces our novel permanent brachytherapy salvage method.