Combined I125 seed implant and external irradiation for carcinoma of prostate

Localized carcinoma of the prostate was treated in 20 patients by pelvic lymph node dissection, radioactive iodine implant and external radiotherapy. Treatment was well tolerated. Pelvic lymph node involvement was present in 35% of the patients. Well-differentiated cancers were essentially in small prostates (3 cm), stages T1 or T2. They had a lower possibility (10%) of metastasis to only one pelvic lymph node. None had more than one lymph node involved. Moderately or poorly-differentiated cancers occurred in larger prostates (4 cm or more), stage T3. They had a high likelihood (60%) of pelvic node involvement.