As a urologist, Dr. Alan Sadah is on staff at Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital, Alexian Brothers Medical Center, Chicago Prostate Cancer Center, Gottlieb Memorial Hospital, Kindred Hospital, St. Alexius Medical Center, Westlake Hospital, and West Suburban Medical Center. Also practicing at Metro Chicago Surgical Oncology, Dr. Alan Sadah offers brachytherapy as a treatment for prostate cancer.
Many patients with prostate cancer undergo brachytherapy. The treatment may be the sole intervention for patients with early-stage cancers, but larger or more advanced cancers may require treatments such as hormone therapy or external beam radiation. Brachytherapy is generally not recommended for patients with advanced metastasized prostate cancer.
Prostate brachytherapy requires the placement of radioactive structures inside the prostate gland, where they release radiation that attacks the cancer cells. Many patients receive temporary (high-dose) brachytherapy, in which the gland receives catheters of radiation for only a few minutes. The therapy usually requires three treatments of five to 15 minutes each.
Other patients undergo permanent (low-dose) prostate brachytherapy. In this procedure, the physician inserts radioactive seeds or pellets that release radiation over a period of weeks or months. The radiation kills the cancer cells while minimizing damage to surrounding tissues.
