SURVIVAL OF PATIENTS WITH LOCALIZED PROSTATE-CANCER TREATED WITH PERCUTANEOUS TRANSPERINEAL PLACEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE GOLD SEEDS - STAGE-A2,STAGE-B, AND STAGE-C

Between 1984 and 1991, a total of 177 patients with adenocarcinoma of the prostate were treated with transcutaneous, transperineal radioacti ve gold seeds. Of these 177 patients, 20 were determined to have pelvi c lymph node involvement and were excluded from this review. The remai ning 157 patients received a median radioactivity dose of 164 mCi with a median follow-up of 48 months. Cancer-specific survival at 5 years was 100% for stage A2 and B1, 90% for stage B2, and 76% for stage C ca ncer. Covariates of grade, total radioactivity administered, age of th e patient, and number of seeds implanted did not influence disease-fre e survival in a statistically significant manner. Significant complica tions were observed in two patients. The survival rates of patients tr eated with Au-198 Seed implanation for localized cancer are equivalent or better when compared to historical data of patients treated with I -125 implantation, external beam radiotherapy, combination radioactive gold seed implantation and external irradiation, and radical prostate ctomy. In addition, these comparable survival rates using intersitial Au-198 seeds may be achieved with less morbidity. (C) 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.