Newswise — W. Robert Lee, M.D., M.S., M.Ed., an ASTRO member and professor of radiation oncology at the Duke University School of Medicine in Durham, N.C., will testify this morning before the House Committee on Veterans Affairs Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations on the lifesaving benefits of brachytherapy.
The House VA Subcommittee called this hearing in response to the recent investigation regarding several medical incidents at the Philadelphia VA Medical Center. Dr. Lee will be testifying on behalf of ASTRO and as an expert in prostate cancer and brachytherapy, but he will not be speaking directly on the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's investigation.
Brachytherapy is the placement of radioactive sources in or just next to a tumor. The word brachytherapy comes from the Greek "brachy" meaning short distance. During brachytherapy, the radioactive sources may be left in place permanently or temporarily, depending upon the cancer. To position the sources accurately, special catheters or applicators are used often with imaging to ensure the sources are put in the right place.
Brachytherapy is a minimally invasive, highly effective outpatient procedure that avoids hospitalization and allows the patient an early recovery and rapid return to normal activity. The benefits of using brachytherapy in the treatment of early-stage prostate cancer can include a lower incidence of impotence and incontinence than is commonly reported with a radical prostatectomy. The high degree of accuracy achievable in prostate implants is not only due to technological improvements, but the skill, adequate training and attention to detail of the radiation oncologist performing the procedure. Each year, approximately 50,000 brachytherapy treatments are performed in the United States and only a very small amount of procedures result in medical events reported to the NRC.
"While ASTRO is deeply troubled by the problems identified at brachytherapy programs at the Philadelphia and other VA centers, we are heartened that NRC investigators have found no evidence of widespread medical events involving brachytherapy. I think that it is critical that Congress and the public understand that brachytherapy is a very safe procedure with a long track-record of effectively curing cancer with minimal side effects," Dr. Lee said.
ASTRO is the largest radiation oncology society in the world, with more than 10,000 members who specialize in treating patients with radiation therapies. As the leading organization in radiation oncology, biology and physics, the Society is dedicated to improving patient care through education, clinical practice, advancement of science and advocacy. For more information on radiation therapy, visit www.rtanswers.org. To learn more about ASTRO, visit www.astro.org.
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