Redefining bladder neck dose in low-dose-rate prostate brachytherapy-Can we improve urinary toxicity without impacting disease control?

BACKGROUND: We sought to assess the impact of bladder neck dose (BND) on patient reported urinary toxicity, and feasibility of relative urethral sparing technique in prostate brachytherapy (PB). METHODS AND MATERIALS: We retrospectively identified bladder neck as a point dose on post-implant CT scans in patients treated with 131Cs PB. Urinary symptoms were assessed through EPIC questionnaires. Patient cohorts were identified based on mean BND as a percentage of prescription dose with toxicity assessment at each time point. RESULTS: In our cohort of 542 patients, BND was associated with clinically significant acute urinary symptoms and chronic symptoms, as patients receiving >70% of the prescription dose had significantly worse overall EPIC scores than patients receiving ≤70% of prescription dose. There was no difference in bDFS between patients receiving BND ≤70% (96% bDFS) and >70% (94% bDFS) at a median follow up of 57 months. CONCLUSIONS: BND has a significant impact on both acute and chronic urinary symptoms, with reduced symptoms reported with BND <70% of prescription dose. With a median follow up of 4.7 years, excellent bDFS has thus far been achieved with relative urethral and bladder neck sparing. Utilizing this constraint should improve urinary symptoms without impacting disease control.

Treatment of intermediate-risk prostate cancer with Cs-131: Long-term results from a single institution.

PURPOSE: To evaluate our institutional outcomes utilizing Cs-131 prostate brachytherapy (PB) for the intermediate-risk (IR) group of prostate cancer patients. METHODS AND MATERIALS: We reviewed a prospectively collected database of men treated with Cs-131 PB between 2006 and 2019. Patients with less than 24-months follow-up were excluded. Patients were classified as IR if they had one of the following factors: Gleason Score 7, prostate specific antigen >10 but <20 ng/mL, or T2b-c on clinical exam. We defined unfavorable-IR (UIR) as having either Grade Group 3, >1 IR factors, or ≥50% positive core biopsies. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to estimate actuarial event-time probabilities for biochemical freedom from disease (BFD). RESULTS: A total of 335 patients with a median follow-up of 70.1 months (IQR 48.3-106.3 months) were identified. Androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) was used in 7.2% of patients. Favorable-IR (FIR) patients were commonly treated with PB alone (91.8%). FIR patients who underwent PB alone had a 5-year BFD of 98.1%. UIR patients were commonly treated with external beam radiotherapy plus PB (61.2%). These patients had 5-year BFD of 91.1%. The 5-year BFD for UIR patients treated without ADT was 90.9%, whereas it was 95.0% among UIR patients treated with ADT (log-rank p = 0.83). CONCLUSIONS: FIR patients have excellent outcomes when treated with PB alone. External beam radiotherapy plus PB is a reasonable treatment approach for UIR patients. Future studies may elucidate which IR patients would benefit from treatment intensification.

Intraprostatic calcification and biochemical recurrence in men treated with cesium-131 prostate brachytherapy.

PURPOSE: Baseline intraprostatic calcification (IC) has been shown to be associated with a higher rate of biochemical recurrence (BCR) in men treated with iodine-125 prostate brachytherapy (PB). We evaluated this association in a cohort of men treated with cesium-131 PB. METHODS AND MATERIALS: We retrospectively reviewed the charts of all low- and intermediate-risk prostate cancer patients treated with cesium-131 PB +/- external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) at our institution from 2/2011 to 7/2018. Patients with < 24 months of follow up or those who received androgen deprivation therapy were excluded. Baseline IC status (defined as one or more ICs ≥ 5 mm) was determined on post-PB CT scans. Cox analysis was used to assess predictors of BCR and Kaplan-Meier survival curves were calculated. RESULTS: Two hundred and sixteen low- and intermediate-risk prostate cancer patients treated with cesium-131 PB +/- EBRT were included. Median follow up was 56.9 months (range 24.1-111.4). Overall, 76 (35.2%) patients had baseline IC and 140 (64.8%) did not. Baseline disease characteristics did not differ significantly between groups. On univariate Cox analysis, only risk group (p = 0.047) and initial PSA (p = 0.016) were significant predictors of BCR, whereas baseline IC was not (p = 0.11). The 5-year BCR-free survival in patients with versus without baseline IC was 97.7% versus 93.8% (p = 0.405), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: In a cohort of low- and intermediate-risk prostate cancer patients treated with cesium-131 PB, the rate of BCR in men with baseline IC was low and baseline IC was not associated with a higher risk of BCR.

Cesium-131 prostate brachytherapy: A single institutional long-term experience.

AIMS: To report on the PSA outcomes in men undergoing prostate seed implant (PSI) with Cesium-131 at a single institution. MATERIALS AND METHODS: All patients who underwent prostate brachytherapy with Cesium-131 (131Cs) at our institution and had the potential for at least 24 months of follow up were included in this study. Results are reported for the by NCCN risk group (low, low/high-intermediate, and high), as well as by treatment received (monotherapy, combination external beam radiation + PSI, or trimodal therapy with androgen deprivation). The Phoenix definition (absolute nadir plus 2 ng/mL) was used to define biochemical freedom from disease (BFD). RESULTS: Eight hundred and six men have undergone prostate brachytherapy with Cesium-131 at our institution, and 669 men were included in analysis. Median follow up was 60.0 months (range: 0-144 months). According to NCCN risk categories, 29.9% were low-, 55.6% intermediate-, and 14.5% high-risk. Using the Phoenix criteria, 5/10-year BFD was 97.1/95.3% for patients in the low-risk category, 94.0/90.1% for patients in the intermediate-risk category, and 86.2/56.6% for patients in the high-risk category. PSA ≤0.2 ng/dL at 4 years was predictive of 10 year biochemical control: 96.3% vs 70.4%, p < 0.001. CONCLUSIONS: The present study demonstrates that prostate brachytherapy with 131Cs achieves excellent long-term biochemical control.

Long-Term Patient-Reported Rectal Bleeding and Bowel-Related Quality of Life After Cs-131 Prostate Brachytherapy.

PURPOSE: There is limited long-term data on outcome and side effects of Cs-131 prostate brachytherapy and minimal patient-reported data on rectal bleeding with any isotope. We aimed to describe the incidence, prevalence, and predictors of late patient-reported rectal bleeding after Cs-131 brachytherapy. METHODS AND MATERIALS: We reviewed a prospectively collected database of 620 men treated with Cs-131 prostate brachytherapy. Of 620 patients, 390 (62.9%) received brachytherapy as monotherapy; the remainder received combination therapy with external beam radiation therapy (EBRT). Patients were administered Expanded Prostate Cancer Index Composite questionnaires preoperatively and postoperatively at each follow-up visit. The primary outcome was late rectal bleeding, defined as rectal bleeding reported at the 6-month follow-up or later. Clinically significant rectal bleeding was defined as occurring more than "rarely," and clinically significant bother from rectal bleeding was defined as considering bleeding more than a "very small problem." Univariate and multivariate Cox regression were performed to identify factors predictive for rectal bleeding. RESULTS: With a median follow-up time of 48 months, the cumulative incidence of clinically significant late rectal bleeding was 12.4%, with 15.2% reporting clinically significant bother from bleeding. At the time of last follow-up, the prevalence of clinically significant rectal bleeding and bother were 4.0% and 4.7%, respectively. On univariate analysis, acute clinically significant rectal bleeding, defined as occurring within the first 6 months (P = .001) and combination therapy with EBRT (P = .001) predicted for clinically significant late rectal bleeding. On multivariate analysis, both EBRT (P = .001; hazard ratio, 2.50; 95% confidence interval, 1.58-3.94) and acute rectal bleeding (P < .001; hazard ratio, 3.11; 95% confidence interval, 1.75-5.53) remained significant predictors for late rectal bleeding. CONCLUSIONS: Prostate brachytherapy with Cs-131 is well tolerated in the long term. Although the incidence of clinically significant patient-reported late rectal bleeding was 12.4%, the prevalence at last follow-up was only 4.0%, suggesting that this problem tends to resolve.

Characterizing Clinically Meaningful Changes in Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms Using the American Urological Association Symptom Index.

OBJECTIVE: To correlate patients' perception of changes in their lower urinary tract symptoms with changes in their American Urological Association Symptom Index (AUA-SI) scores with the goal of improving the ability of patients and clinicians to assess the clinical meaningfulness of changes in the AUA-SI score. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Men were asked to complete an AUA-SI survey and answer a symmetrical response framework question to evaluate their global perception of change in lower urinary tract symptoms at each interval, namely, "Are your urinary symptoms much better, slightly better, the same, slightly worse, or much worse compared to your prior visit?" Median changes and interquartile ranges (IQRs) in the AUA-SI scores were compared with the global evaluation response for the entire cohort. Additionally, outcomes were stratified by baseline AUA-SI severity classification (mild, moderate, or severe). RESULTS: The median changes and IQRs in AUA-SI scores of patients rating themselves as much better, slightly better, the same, slightly worse, and much worse compared with their symptoms at the time of their last AUA-SI were -2 (IQR -6 to 0), -1 (IQR -5 to 1), 0 (IQR -2 to 2), 5 (IQR 0-9), and 11 (IQR 5-18), respectively. There was a significant difference in AUA-SI score change between each rating category (P <.001). CONCLUSION: These results demonstrate that the patients require only a small decrease in their AUA-SI scores to report they are slightly better or much better, whereas a larger increase in their AUA-SI scores is required for patients to report their symptoms are slightly worse or much worse.

Long-Term Quality of Life in Prostate Cancer Patients Treated With Cesium-131.

PURPOSE: To evaluate long-term patient-reported quality of life (QOL) scores in men with prostate cancer treated at our institution with 131Cs prostate brachytherapy. METHODS AND MATERIALS: Patients treated more than 4 years ago with 131Cs (n=290) were asked to fill out an Expanded Prostate Cancer Index Composite (EPIC) QOL questionnaire and American Urological Association Symptom Score (AUASS) survey, before treatment and at each follow-up appointment. We compared patients' EPIC and AUA scores at baseline with scores at a last follow-up of at least 4 years after treatment using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test. RESULTS: At a median last follow-up of 5.5 years after treatment with 131Cs prostate brachytherapy there were no clinically significant changes in the EPIC or AUA scores from baseline. There was statistical worsening in the EPIC urinary incontinence subscore. Subset analyses revealed improved QOL outcomes in patients who received external beam radiation therapy or α-blocker therapy, whereas androgen deprivation therapy was not associated with differences in QOL change. CONCLUSIONS: Our results demonstrate minimal long-term changes in urinary or bowel patient-reported QOL with 131Cs prostate brachytherapy. These findings suggest that patients treated with this isotope are able to recover and then maintain their baseline QOL in the long term.

Ureteral obstruction following partial nephrectomy: can it be caused by fibrin glue?

Fibrin sealants are widely used during partial nephrectomy, however reports regarding the potential complications associated with their use are limited. We present the case of a 67-year-old male who developed delayed ureteral obstruction without hydronephrosis following partial nephrectomy in a solitary kidney. We hypothesize that the obstruction and absence of hydronephrosis were caused by extrinsic compression and subsequent inflammation due to the fibrin glue. Our report underscores the importance of a high index of suspicion for obstruction when acute kidney injury occurs following partial nephrectomy when fibrin glue is used, even in the absence of collecting system dilatation.

Simultaneous cuff revision and placement of an AdVance male sling for persistent post-prostatectomy urinary incontinence initially managed with AMS 800 artificial urinary sphincter.

Placement of an artificial urinary sphincter (AUS) remains the gold standard for treatment of stress urinary incontinence after radical prostatectomy. Persistent or recurrent incontinence after AUS placement can occur. Options then include cuff revision or placement of a retrourethral transobturator sling (RTS), among other alternatives. This report describes simultaneous cuff revision and placement of a RTS for management of refractory stress urinary incontinence after radical prostatectomy. This approach obviates the need for additional procedures if one approach fails. This is especially valuable for patients averse to operative intervention and those at high risk for general anesthesia.

Prostate-specific antigen spikes with ¹³¹Cs brachytherapy. Is there a difference with other radioisotopes?

PURPOSE: There is a suggestion that a dose-rate effect exists for the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) spike after brachytherapy. ¹³¹Cs is a newer radioisotope with a half-life of 9.7 days that is being used for prostate brachytherapy. There is no published data on the PSA spike with this radioisotope and the goal of this study was to quantify PSA spikes with ¹³¹Cs and compare it with published data for other isotopes. METHODS AND MATERIALS: We have been maintaining a prospective database for all patients treated with ¹³¹Cs prostate brachytherapy at our institution. We selected patients for whom followup PSA was available for at least 24 months. The PSA spike was defined as an increase of 0.2 ng/mL, followed by a decline to prespike level. RESULTS: One hundred twenty-three patients had monotherapy, whereas 32 had external beam radiation therapy followed by a brachytherapy boost. Median followup was 36 months and mean numbers of PSAs obtained were 7. Forty-six (29.7%) patients had a PSA spike. The mean time and duration for the PSA spike were 12.5 and 8.8 months, respectively. The mean magnitude of increase and mean PSA value at increase were 0.63 and 1.56 ng/mL, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of a PSA spike in our series is consistent with reported numbers for other radioisotopes. The occurrence of the spike at 12.5 months appears to be at the early end of the spectrum reported for (125)I, but the duration and magnitude are similar to other radioisotopes.

Acute bowel morbidity after prostate brachytherapy with cesium-131.

PURPOSE: The present study evaluates the severity and time to resolution of bowel symptoms in men undergoing prostate brachytherapy (PB) with cesium-131 ((131)Cs). METHODS AND MATERIALS: A longitudinal, prospective study of patients who had undergone PB with (131)Cs at a single institution was performed. All patients were asked to complete the Expanded Prostate Cancer Index Composite preoperatively and at 2 weeks and 1, 3, and 6 months postoperatively. Outcomes were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Student's t test. RESULTS: The first 142 patients to have undergone PB with (131)Cs at our institution were included in the study. The mean Expanded Prostate Cancer Index Composite bowel summary score at baseline was 90.1±11.0 compared with 71.5±22.8 (p=0.000), 70.1±20.7, 87.1±13.8 (p=0.01), and 90.7±9.2 (p=0.70) at 2 weeks and 1, 3, and 6 months postoperatively, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: In men undergoing PB as monotherapy with (131)Cs, bowel symptoms returned to baseline by 3 months after the procedure. For patients undergoing PB with (131)Cs as part of combination therapy, bowel symptoms return to their post-external beam radiotherapy, pre-PB baseline by 3 months after the procedure.

Changes in lower urinary tract symptoms after prostate brachytherapy.

PURPOSE: To further define the bothersome lower urinary tract symptoms that occur after prostate brachytherapy (PB) by evaluating patient's responses to the individual questions of the urinary portion of the Expanded Prostate Cancer Index Composite (EPIC) survey and the AUA symptoms score in men undergoing PB. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A longitudinal, prospective study of 170 patients who have undergone PB at a single institution was performed. All patients were asked to complete the EPIC survey pre-operatively and at 2 weeks, 4 weeks, 3 months, and 6 months post-operatively. Starting with the 75(th) patient in the cohort, patients were also asked to complete the AUA symptom score. RESULTS: The pattern of changes for each question is similar for both the EPIC survey and the AUA symptom score, with a marked worsening of symptoms at 2 and 4 weeks and an improvement to baseline by 3 to 6 months. Hematuria questions had the quickest and dysuria questions had the longest return to baseline. The dysuria questions had the greatest change and the incontinence questions had the smallest change in magnitude. Obstructive symptoms had a greater magnitude of change when compared to irritative symptoms, but the irritative symptoms took longer to return to baseline. CONCLUSIONS: The present study adds to the fund of knowledge regarding the bothersome lower urinary tract symptoms which occur after PB by analyzing the individual questions of both the urinary portion of the EPIC survey and the AUA symptom score.

Cesium 131 versus iodine 125 implants for prostate cancer: evaluation of early PSA response.

INTRODUCTION: Given the shorter half-life of cesium-131 (Cs-131) compared to iodine-125 (I-125), we hypothesized that initial PSA outcomes may differ. We compare initial PSA outcomes in men undergoing Cs-131 prostate brachytherapy to men treated with I-125. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The first post-treatment PSA (obtained 3-6 months after the procedure) was compared in patients undergoing I-125 prostate brachytherapy to that of patients undergoing Cs-131 prostate brachytherapy at the same institution. Comparisons included the total cohort as well as low and intermediate risk patients. RESULTS: Mean pre-treatment PSA was 6.9 ng/mL in the I-125 cohort, and 6.9 ng/mL in the Cs-131 cohort. Mean initial post-treatment PSA was 0.9 ng/mL (range < 0.1-4.6) in the I-125 cohort and 1.2 ng/mL (range < 0.1-23.5) in the Cs-131 patients. For low risk patients, mean pre-treatment PSA was 5.8 ng/mL in the I-125 cohort, and 5.1 ng/mL in the Cs-131 cohort. Initial mean post-treatment PSA for low risk patients was 1.2 ng/mL (range < 0.1-4.6) in the I-125 group and 1.0 ng/mL (range < 0.1-2.9) in the Cs-131 patients (p = 0.37). For intermediate risk patients, mean pre-treatment PSA was 7.3 ng/mL in the I-125 cohort, and 7.3 ng/mL in the Cs-131 cohort. Mean initial post-treatment PSA in intermediate risk patients was 1.5 ng/mL (range < 0.1-2.9) in the I-125 group and 1.2 ng/mL (range < 0.1-4.6) in the Cs-131 patients (p = 0.52). CONCLUSIONS: Given the shorter half-life of Cs-131 compared to I-125, we hypothesized that initial post-brachytherapy PSA levels were similar between men receiving treatment with Cs-131 and I-125. The aim of the present study is not to predict long term outcome after Cs-131 prostate brachytherapy, but rather to simply compare initial PSA outcomes in men undergoing prostate brachytherapy with I-125 to Cs-131. Long term data are needed to document cancer control achieved with Cs-131.

Acute lower urinary tract symptoms after prostate brachytherapy with cesium-131.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the severity and interval to resolution of the acute lower urinary tract symptoms in men undergoing prostate brachytherapy (PB) with cesium-131 ((131)Cs). METHODS: A longitudinal, prospective study of patients who had undergone PB with (131)Cs at our institution and had a minimum of 6 months of follow-up was performed. Urinary symptoms were assessed using the Expanded Prostate Cancer Index Composite. Patients were asked to complete a survey preoperatively and at 2 weeks and 1, 3, and 6 months postoperatively. RESULTS: The first 152 patients who underwent PB with (131)Cs at our institution were included in the present study. The mean Expanded Prostate Cancer Index Composite urinary summary score decreased significantly from baseline (86.4) at 2 weeks (59.2) and 1 month (62.2) after PB. These scores returned to the clinical baseline by 3 months (79.6) and to the statistical baseline by 6 months (84.0) after PB. The urinary subscales (function, bother, incontinence, irritative/obstructive) followed the same course in returning to the clinical and statistical baseline values. Similar patterns were seen when patients were stratified by PB as monotherapy. For patients undergoing combination therapy, the mean Expanded Prostate Cancer Index Composite scores returned to the clinical and statistical baseline values by 3 months after their procedure. CONCLUSIONS: In patients undergoing PB with (131)Cs, the postprocedure lower urinary tract symptoms generally returned to the clinical baseline by 3 months and the statistical baseline value by 6 months after PB.

Cost comparison between watchful waiting with active surveillance and active treatment of clinically localized prostate cancer.

OBJECTIVES: In part because of concern regarding overtreatment in men with prostate cancer, watchful waiting with active surveillance (WWAS) has been increasingly used in men diagnosed with low-risk prostate cancer. The present study investigates the difference in costs between men with low-risk prostate cancer treated with up-front radical prostatectomy (RP) versus WWAS. METHODS: A cost model was constructed using data from centers that have published their results in men who were followed up with WWAS compared with the actual costs of up-front RP calculated from a high volume center. Two WWAS arms of 15-year duration were created in which the follow-up protocol and conversion rate to active treatment were varied. RESULTS: The cost of up-front RP including costs of surgery, complications, and follow up for 15 years was $15 235 per person. Costs of WWAS were estimated using annual conversion rates from WWAS to RP of both 5% and 7%. Costs per person in the WWAS arms ranged from $6558 to $11 992 in the scenarios created which represent a 43%-78.7% reduction in costs when compared with men undergoing up-front RP. CONCLUSIONS: Watchful waiting with active surveillance is being increasingly used in hopes of decreasing the potential overtreatment of prostate cancer in men with low-risk disease. The present study suggests that WWAS is likely to markedly decrease costs when compared with active treatment with RP.

Effect of edema associated with 131Cs prostate permanent seed implants on dosimetric quality indices.

This study was designed to investigate the effect of prostatic edema on various dosimetric quality indices following transperineal permanent 131Cs seed implant. Thirty-one patients with early prostate cancer, who received 131Cs permanent seed implant, were included in this study. Each patient received a prescribed dose of 115 Gy from the implant. Transrectal ultrasound (U.S.) was used to measure the preimplant prostate volume and pre- and postneedle implant volumes, and postimplant CT images were used to obtain postimplant prostate volumes at days 0, 14, and 28 for all patients. The magnitude of edema was determined by comparing the preneedle and postimplant prostate volumes, which was used to compute the half life of the edema using the least-squares method. Dose volume histograms were generated for each set of volumes to determine the percentage of the prostate volume that received a dose equal to or greater than the prescribed dose to compute the quality index (V100) and fractional D90 (FD90). There were no statistically significant differences between the postneedle and postimplant (day 0) volumes obtained by U.S. and CT scanned images (student's t-test p=0.56). The mean half life of the edema was found to be (9.72 +/- 8.31) days (mean +/- 1 SD), ranging from 3.64 to 34.48 days. The mean values of V100 and FD90 from preimplant plan to postimplant plan at day 0 were decreased by 8.0% and 6.3%, respectively. On the other hand, the mean values of V100 and FD90 increased with increasing postimplant time and attained optimal values when postimplant volume reached the original volume of the prostate. The short half life 131Cs radioactive source delivered about 85% of the prescribed dose before the prostate reached its original volume. Therefore, improvement in V100 and FD90 due to edema decay does not improve the physical dose delivery to the prostate. It is important to note that at the time of 131Cs implant, the effect of edema must be accounted for when defining the seed positions. Implants performed based only on the guidance of a preimplant volume study would result in poor dosimetric results for 131Cs implants.

Case report of significant bleeding associated with prostate brachytherapy.

Prostate brachytherapy is a minimally invasive option in treating prostate cancer, usually with little risk of surgical morbidity. This reports a case of significant bleeding associated with the procedure of prostate brachytherapy.

Dosimetric outcomes in prostate brachytherapy: is downsizing the prostate with androgen deprivation necessary?

OBJECTIVES: A large prostate volume has historically been a relative contraindication to prostate brachytherapy (PB) because of concerns of toxicity and potential pubic arch interference. Common practice has been to downsize large prostates with androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) before proceeding with brachytherapy. The present study compares postimplant dosimetry in patients with prostate volumes >50 cc with those with prostate volumes 50 cc (mean 58.1 cc, range 50.2-86.0 cc); the mean D(90), V(100), V(150), and V(200) was 125.1%, 95.2%, 68.2%, and 41.7%, respectively. The rectal V(100) was 1.0 cc for both cohorts. There was no statistically significant difference between the cohorts with respect to postimplant dosimetry for D(90), V(100), and V(150). The V(200) for prostate volumes >50 cc was significantly lower (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: In the present study, patients with prostate volumes >50 cc have postimplant dosimetry parameters similar to patients with prostate volumes

Overcoming pubic arch interference with free-hand needle placement in men undergoing prostate brachytherapy.

PURPOSE: The present study evaluates the postimplant dosimetry when free-hand needles were placed to overcome interference from the pubic arch. METHODS AND MATERIALS: A review of all patients who underwent prostate brachytherapy at our institution from 2001 to 2006 was performed. Postimplant dosimetry in men requiring free-hand needle placement was compared with postimplant dosimetry in men not requiring free-hand needle placement. RESULTS: Of the 145 patients who underwent prostate brachytherapy, 8 patients required free-hand needle placement. The mean prostate volume in the free-hand needle cohort was 46.0cc with a mean of 3.4 free-hand needles placed. In the 137 patients not requiring free-hand needle placement, the mean volume was 39.7cc. The mean D(90), V(100), V(150), and rectal V(100) for the free-hand cohort was 129.5%, 96.3%, 81.6%, and 1.45cc, respectively. The mean D(90), V(100), V(150), and rectal V(100) in men not requiring free-hand needle placement was 126.8%, 97.1%, 78.7%, and 1.03cc, respectively. CONCLUSION: The present study finds that adequate postimplant dosimetry can be obtained if free-hand needles are required due to pubic arch interference.