Before the establishment of brachytherapy, treatment choices of prostate cancer included removal of the gland (radical prostatectomy) or external beam irradiation. Today, radioactive "seed" implantation is also available that offers equal cure rates, while avoiding the subsequent side effects of the above mentioned conventional methods.

All patients that are candidates for radical prostatectomy or external beam irradiation can be candidates for prostate brachytherapy. Especially is indicated for patients with poor general health condition or for patients that do not wish for personal reasons (fear of a major operation, impotence, incontinence, etc) to undergo surgical removal of the gland.

The final decision of treatment concerns only the patient and should be taken after consultation by his urologist, who should carefully present the side effects of each method.