Myth 13

There are at least five different types of radiation, and they can be divided into two groups:

Seed radiation—permanent and temporary—in which the radiation is implanted in the prostate.

Beam radiation—IMRT, SBRT and proton therapy—in which the radiation is beamed through the body to hit the prostate.

Often, these two different approaches are combined. Until recently, the assumption was that cure rates were similar with all approaches.

This belief has changed since the publication of a well-designed trial that compares the long-term cure rates of beam radiation, plus seeds, to beam radiation alone. Nine years after treatment, men treated with a combination of seeds plus beam radiation had a 20 percent reduction in their risk of relapse compared to the men who had beam radiation alone.