High-dose-rate brachytherapy in prostate cancer. The first experience in Norway

Background. A correlation exists between applied dose to the prostate and tumour control. External beam radiation of the prostate implies administering curative doses near the upper limit of normal tissue tolerance. Highdose-rate brachytherapy permits dose escalation within the prostate without increasing the risk of side effects to the surrounding rectum and bladder. This article presents a study of 100 patients with local or locally advanced prostate cancer, who were the first to be treated with high-dose-rate brachytherapy combined with external beam radiation in Norway.