Diffusion pattern of low dose rate brachytherapy for prostate cancer in Japan

Abstract

Permanent implant brachytherapy for prostate cancer using iodine-125 seeds was adopted in Japan in 2003. Here, we report on the diffusion pattern of this treatment in Japan since 2003. We examined the annual numbers of prostate cancer patients per hospital in Japan, who were treated with iodine-125 seed implant brachytherapy with or without external beam radiation therapy between 2003 and 2011. The hospitals were excluded from the count if brachytherapy was begun in a hospital within the given year, and thus was only available for part of the year. W hen a medical technology, the usefulness of which has been established, is adopted in a country, how does the technology diffuse into medical practice? The speed and degrees of the diffusion depend upon many factors: consumer demand, promotional efforts of technology manufacturers, medical education, health insurance and payment systems, and governmental regulatory policies.

Predictive factors of rectal toxicity after permanent iodine-125 seed implantation: Prospective cohort study in 2339 patients

“…Training workshops have been held at regular intervals in Japan to maintain or improve the technical level of PI (6), and all the institutions in this study have participated the workshops. In each institution, PI treatment was performed with the strict aim of sparing the rectum.…”

“…The number of patients with prostate cancer treated with PI has increased rapidly in Japan, and over 19,000 patients had been treated in 109 institutions at the end of 2011 (6). To evaluate the safety and efficacy of PI for prostate cancer, a nationwide prospective cohort study entitled the Japanese Prostate Cancer Outcome Study of Permanent Iodine-125 (I-125) Seed Implantation (J-POPS; NCT00534196) was initiated in July 2005 (7).…”

Impact of Gleason Pattern 5 on outcomes of patients with prostate cancer and iodine-125 prostate brachytherapy

“…The number of PCa patients with PB has been increasing rapidly in Japan 3 . Gleason grading is an important predictor of PCa outcome, 4 and Gleason scores (GS) of 8–10 represent a high-risk grade group.…”

Acute urinary morbidity after a permanent 125I implantation for localized prostate cancer

“…The treatment outcomes following PB for early-stage prostate cancer compare well with prostatectomy and external beam radiotherapy [ 6 ]. Because the adverse effects of PB are reasonably acceptable [ 7 – 9 ] and the duration of hospitalization is short, the number of patients in Japan who undergo PB using radioactive 125 iodine ( 125 I) seeds has increased rapidly in recent years [ 10 ].…”