Palladium proves superior in brachytherapy
This article was originally published in The Gray Sheet
Executive Summary
A study of 5,889 patients over 15 years reveals that pellet formula and isotope make a significant difference in the prognosis for prostate cancer patients treated with brachytherapy, Theragenics reports Dec. 4. The firm manufactures the palladium-103 TheraSeed device used to implant pellets that emit radiation, which kills localized prostate cancer cells. The study showed better outcomes for patients treated with palladium over iodine, according to Louis Potters, MD, who presented the results during the 48 American Society of Therapeutic Radiation Oncologists meeting in Philadelphia. The study also showed that a patient's disease characteristics, quantified by Gleason score and PSA level, can predict patient outcomes nine years out. Theragenics restructured in 2005 to focus on TheraSeed and other products acquired in its May 2005 purchase of CP Medical (1"The Gray Sheet" Aug. 15, 2005, p. 17)...