Oncological and urinary outcomes following low‐dose‐rate brachytherapy with a median follow‐up of 11.8years

ObjectivesTo examine the long‐term oncological outcomes and urological morbidity of low‐dose‐rate prostate brachytherapy (LDRBT) monotherapy using live intraoperative dosimetry planning and an automated needle navigation delivery system for the treatment of men with low and intermediate‐risk prostate cancer.Patients and MethodsA prospective database of 400 consecutive patients who underwent LDRBT between July 2003 and June 2015 was retrospectively reviewed to assess urinary side‐effects and biochemical progression, based on the Phoenix definition and also a definition of a prostate‐specific antigen (PSA) level of ≥0.2 μg/L.ResultsMinimum patient follow‐up was 5.5 years. The median follow‐up of the entire cohort was 11.8 years. The median (range) PSA level was 6.1 (0.9–17) μg/L and the median Gleason score was 3 + 4. The biochemical relapse‐free survival (RFS; freedom from biochemical recurrence) based on the Phoenix definition was 85.8% (343/400). The RFS using a ‘surgical’ definition of a PSA level of