Advantages and Disadvantages of HDR brachytherapy - High-dose Rate (HDR) Brachytherapy

Advantages of HDR brachytherapy:

Treatment requires only minor surgery, therefore there are fewer surgery-related complications.
Treatment is generally painless, as the patient is given a mild anesthetic.
Recovery is much quicker because the procedure does not require major surgery.
Radiation dosage can be modified after the catheters are in place to dispense radiation.
Impotence and incontinence rates, or urinary problems, are very low. According to the American Cancer Society, a major study (CaPSURE) rates brachytherapy as having the lowest rate of sexual dysfunction of any treatment, even after 5 years.
Disadvantages:

HDR treatment is demanding on the patient as he goes through multiple steps including template fitting, catheter placement, and radiation treatment. The template and catheters remain in place in the genital area during the entire nearly 24 hour process.
This treatment is inconvenient for patients in terms of time because it requires an overnight stay in the hospital for template fitting and a second day for treatment. In addition, two weeks after the initial treatment, the patient must return for another template fitting, including an overnight stay in the hospital, and a second day of treatment.
The patient may experience pelvic discomfort for several weeks after treatment due to the dose intensity. This can be treated with over-the-counter medication.