Size Counts in Catheters

Over-radiation of the urinary tract is a major side effect of brachytherapy, the treatment of prostate cancer with implanted radioactive pellets. The seeds must be precisely positioned, especially when close to the ureter. A urethral catheter is inserted to help visualize the structure during the process, but a UAB specialist reports that the catheter's size may increase the risk of over-radiation of the urethra. "When the catheter is withdrawn, the ensuing shrinkage of the urethra carries the seeds closer to that structure, raising concerns about urethral dose," says physicist Ivan Brezovich, Ph.D., in a recent issue of the Journal of Radiation Oncology. Catheters 12-french or smaller are preferable to larger ones in most cases. Contact Hank Black, Media Relations, 205-934-8938 or [email protected].