Combined Interstitial and External Radiotherapy in the Definitive Management of Carcinoma of the Prostate

Five hundred and forty-two patients have been treated for prostatic carcinoma with radiotherapy between 1965 and 1976 at our institution. All patients have been followed for longer than one year. Two hundred and ninety-five patients have been subjected to surgical exploration to document the precise stage of their disease and undergone staging pelvic lymphadenectomy at the time of interstitial implantation of radioactive gold grains. Postoperatively, these patients have received an average of 4500 rad, given over one month, external beam radiotherapy to the prostate. Excellent survival data are presented including the results of post treatment needle biopsy in a selected number of patients.