Iodine-125 implants for carcinoma of the prostate

One hundred-thirteen patients underwent Iodine-125 prostate implant and lymphadenectomy at Yale-New Haven Hospital from 1974 through 1980. The distribution by clinical stage was: 7 Stage A2, 86 Stage B, and 20 Stage C patients. Ninety-four patients had a negative lymphadenectomy (N-) and 19 patients (17%) had metastatic disease in the pelvic lymph nodes (N+). The actuarial 5-year survival for all 113 patients was 87% (+/- 6%: 95% confidence limits). Sixty-five percent of our 113 patients are disease free (NED) from 2 to 9 years following implant. Sixty-seven (N-) patients with clinical Stage B disease, whose tumors were either well differentiated or moderately well differentiated, have an actuarial 5-year NED survival of 84% (+/- 8%). Twenty (N-) patients with either clinical Stage C disease or poorly differentiated tumors have an actuarial 5-year NED survival of only 31% (+/- 20%). For the 19 (N+) patients, the actuarial 5-year NED survival is 38% (+/- 22%). Local tumor control was 85% for all Stage B patients and 75% for all Stage C patients. Only 10 patients (9%) have developed long-term gastrointestinal or genitourinary complications following their implant. Iodine-125 implant appears to be a reasonable alternate form of therapy in highly selected groups of patients with carcinoma of the prostate.