ABSTRACT
Brachytherapy by seed implantation for the treatment of prostate cancer has been demonstrated to be a clinical success with long term follow-up data showing results similar to radical prostatectomy with minimal morbidity and lower rates of debilitating side effects of incontinence and impotence.1-2 Despite this success story, there are opportunities for improvement in current generation seeds that can and should be addressed. RADIOCOIL source is a second generation linear brachytherapy source designed with the motivation of addressing some of the imperfections and shortcomings in using seeds for brachytherapy with an eye on improving patient outcomes. Among the features of the RADIOCOIL linear source are: more homogeneous dose distribution, stability in tissue, the ability to place the source with extracapsular extension, elimination of source migration, visibility under ultrasound, and a smaller profile source. The smaller profile in turn, allows the use of smaller-gauge, sharper needles for source deployment, thus reducing edema and trauma to the patient. In addition to the enhancement in the source performance, the RADIOCOIL source is easier to produce, as it is manufactured by an automated batch process, minimizing the requirement for 100% inspection and assaying of the source.
