Experience the Most Targeted Prostate
Cancer Treatment:
Intraoperatively Planned LDR Prostate Brachytherapy at Western Radiation Oncology
Prostate Cancer Research Institute | Brachioteraphy
Steven Kurtzman, MD & Ankit Agarwal, MD
Why Choose LDR Brachytherapy with Palladium-103 for Prostate Cancer Treatment?
When facing a prostate cancer diagnosis, choosing the right treatment is crucial for achieving the best possible outcome. LDR (Low Dose Rate) brachytherapy with palladium-103 is a precise form of radiation therapy that offers unparalleled precision in targeting and treating prostate cancer cells, while minimizing damage to surrounding healthy tissues and organs.
LDR brachytherapy involves the insertion of tiny, radioactive seeds directly into the prostate gland. These seeds emit a continuous, low dose of radiation over several weeks, gradually destroying cancer cells while minimizing harm to nearby structures. Palladium-103, a radioactive isotope with a short half-life, ensures that radiation is delivered in a controlled and targeted manner.
By opting for LDR brachytherapy with palladium-103, you’ll benefit from:
When done with intraoperative real-time adaptive planning, LDR brachytherapy can deliver millimeter level precision and accuracy to sculpt the radiation dose to your specific anatomy and "dose-escalate" to areas of concern while minimizing radiation dose to surrounding tissues
Conventional radiation therapy may require daily sessions for several weeks, while LDR brachytherapy is a one-time outpatient procedure
The precision of LDR brachytherapy leads to fewer side effects and a reduced risk of complications, such as urinary incontinence and erectile dysfunction.
The vast majority of men return to their normal lives the day after the procedure with minimal to no pain or discomfort
High Long Term Disease-Free Cure Rates
96.2%1
Low to Intermediate Risk
Prostate Cancer
85-90%2
High Risk
Prostate Cancer
DOUBLES cure rate for patients with high risk prostate cancer,
as compared to conventional external beam radiation therapy alone.
1 According to the largest international study of 1597 patients receiving Pd-103 implants across the world. Tang, Outcomes after PD-103 versus I-125 for low dose rate prostate brachytherapy monotherapy: An international, multi-institutional study, Radiotherapy & Oncology 2023
2 According to the ASCENDE-RT trial (Morris, International Journal of Radiation Oncology, Biology, and Physics, 2017), brachytherapy boost increased the biochemical progression-free-survival rates from 62% at 9 years to 83% at 9 years. More modern studies using intraoperative planning techniques, such as the TRIP randomized trial in Japan (presented in 2023), show a 9-year progression-free-survival rate of 90% for patients with high risk prostate cancer who receive a brachytherapy boost.
Low Rate of Side Effects
Sexual function
Urinary Function
Gastrointestinal function
Protects sexual function, with lower rates of erectile dysfunction, extremely low rates (1%) of long term grade 3 urinary side effects, and rare gastrointestinal side effects1
1 The PROTECT randomized trial as well as several other studies have shown that brachytherapy has the lowest rate of erectile dysfunction rates of all active standard of care treatment options for localized prostate cancer. The TRIP randomized trial, which used modern intraoperative planning techniques, showed a low 1% risk of long term grade 3 urinary or bowel side effects.
Fast Recovery Time
Our Expert Team of Physicians
Physicians at Western Radiation Oncology have completed over 7,000 cases of prostate
brachytherapy and currently perform more than 700 a year – more than any other
physician group doing palladium brachytherapy in the world per year
Dr. Steve Kurtzman, MD
Dr. Kurtzman is a national leader in the advent of intraoperatively planned prostate brachytherapy. He has taught physicians across the United States his technique since the 1990s and served on medical advisory boards for multiple companies in the prostate brachytherapy space
Dr. Ankit Agarwal, MD
Dr. Ankit Agarwal has treated patients with prostate brachytherapy across California, Arizona, and North Carolina. He also published extensively on the treatment of prostate cancer and specializes in the use of intraoperatively planned prostate brachytherapy
Testimonials
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Patient NM
Doctor Agarwal is one of the most professional and personable physicians I’ve ever dealt with. He truly cares about his patients and explains things in a manner that everyone can understand. I have complete confidence in him and trust him to make the best decisions possible. He is a quality person.
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Patient DH
I’d like to thank Dr Kurtzman and his staff for the excellent care I received. His advice and consultation were clear and thorough. He and his staff were always available for questions. Once the decision was made we were able to schedule and have the procedure performed on a timely basis. And the best news is the procedure was a complete success and I am now cancer free!
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Patient SA
In a time of great uncertainty and fear Dr Kurtzman and his team calmed our fears. He took the time to explain the steps, why we were taking those steps and how we move past this to a happy long life. The ability to bring peace of mind and a smile to our faces meant the world to my husband and myself.
L
Patient LLM
There are moments in life that shake you to the core and hearing the phrase “you’ve got cancer” is high on the list. From the initial consultation with Dr. Kurtzman to weekly visits with Dr. Agarwal, I felt I received exceptional care. I always had my questions and concerns addressed and clearly explained to me. It was clearly evident that the technicians and doctors worked as a team to plan my treatments and make any necessary adjustments.
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Patient TK
Brachytherapy ("seeds") for prostate cancer with Dr. Agarwal and Dr. Kurtzman went very well, with minimal post-op side effects or problems. Dr. Agarwal was kind, thorough, explained everything in detail and was very correct in his assessments and advice. I feel very fortunate to have him as my physician, and recommend him very highly.
WRO is a multi-physician, multi-location cancer treatment practice specializing in advanced, targeted radiation therapy for prostate cancer.
