Short-term morbidity and acceptability of 125iodine implantation for localized carcinoma of the prostate.

Objective To report the short-term morbidity and acceptability of the first 50 patients treated with the percutaneous implantation of radioactive iodine seeds for localized carcinoma of the prostate at the Cookridge Hospital. Patients and methods Fifty patients were treated with transrectal ultrasonography-guided percutaneous implants with radioactive (125I) iodine seeds for localized carcinoma of the prostate. The mean hospital stay was 36 h and most patients were able to return to work or normal activity within one week of implantation. Results All patients developed urethritis which was most marked within the first 3 months of treatment; 8% of patients developed acute retention which resolved after temporary catheterization. At 3 months, 36% of patients still had moderate frequency and 18% moderate dysuria, but by 12 months these had resolved and only 5% of patients still complained of moderate nocturia. There were no cases of incontinence. The incidence of proctitis was very low, with only 2% still complaining of moderate symptoms at one year. Of those potent before implantation, 72% retained potency at one year. Conclusions Although it is too early to comment either on late morbidity or on outcome, the results of this study show a side-effect profile similar to that reported by other centres using the same technique.