Mira Keyes, MD, FRCPC, FABS, Author at Grand Rounds in Urology

Mira Keyes, MD, FRCPC, FABS

University of British Columbia

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Mira Keyes, MD, FRCPC, FABS, is a Clinical Professor of Radiation Oncology in the Division of Surgery at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada. Dr. Keyes' research interests include prostate brachytherapy, genitourinary oncology, and breast cancer.

Dr. Keyes earned her medical degree from the University of Novi Sad in Yugoslavia (now Serbia). She completed her fellowship in Radiation Oncology at the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada in Vancouver. Dr. Keyes is a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and the American Brachytherapy Society.

Dr. Keyes has authored and co-authored over 120 publications, has been an invited speaker at many national and international conferences, and has received several grants, including a Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) and Michael Smith Foundation grant for translational research in prostate cancer. She is a founder of the British Columbia Cancer Agency Provincial Prostate Brachytherapy Program and Vice Chair of the group developing Brachytherapy Diploma Certification with the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, for the purpose of credentialing the brachytherapy training process at a national level. Dr. Keyes is a member of the editorial board of Brachytherapy Journal, the Canadian Association for Radiation Oncology, the Canadian Brachytherapy Group, the American Society for Radiation Oncology, and the European Society for Radiotherapy and Oncology.

Talks by Mira Keyes, MD, FRCPC, FABS

Lessons Learned from High Impact Randomized Trials

Mira Keyes, MD, FRCPC, FABS | Nov 2025

Mira Keyes, MD, FRCPC, FABS, outlines radiation therapy for prostate cancer, focusing on dose escalation, salvage, and brachytherapy.

ADT and Radiation

Mira Keyes, MD, FRCPC, FABS | Jun 2025

Mira Keyes, MD, FRCPC, FABS, discusses the role of androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) combined with radiation for prostate cancer treatment.

Expert Discussion on LDR Brachytherapy for Prostate Cancer

E. David Crawford, MD, Mira Keyes, MD, FRCPC, FABS and Steven M. Kurtzman, MD | Feb 2025

Drs. Keyes, Kurtzman, and Crawford highlight how LDR brachytherapy improves patient outcomes and collaboration between urologists and radiation oncologists.

Expanding Treatment Options at Ambulatory Surgical Centers: LDR Brachytherapy for Prostate Cancer

E. David Crawford, MD, Mira Keyes, MD, FRCPC, FABS and Steven M. Kurtzman, MD | Feb 2025

E. David Crawford, MD, Professor of Urology, University of California, San Diego, California, Mira Keyes, MD, FRCPC, Clinical Professor Radiation Oncology, University of British Columbia, BC Cancer, Vancouver Cancer Centre, Vancouver BC, Canada, and Steven M. Kurtzman, MD, Director of Prostate Brachytherapy, Western Radiation Oncology, Mountain View, California, discuss low-dose rate (LDR) brachytherapy as a treatment for prostate cancer.

Point-Counterpoint: Surgery vs. Brachytherapy for Intermediate and High-Risk Prostate Cancer – Brachytherapy

Mira Keyes, MD, FRCPC, FABS | Jul 2023

Mira Keyes, MD, FRCPC, presents an informative discussion on the benefits of brachytherapy compared to surgery and external beam radiation for prostate cancer treatment. She highlights the elusive outcomes and challenges of current treatments, emphasizing the importance of patients’ quality of life and cost considerations.

Dr. Keyes explores how brachytherapy outperforms surgery in terms of PSA (prostate-specific antigen) and metastasis-free survival outcomes in high-risk and unfavorable intermediate-risk patients. These findings suggest that brachytherapy can effectively target and control aggressive forms of prostate cancer.

Additionally, she addresses the misconception that brachytherapy is only suitable for certain risk groups, explaining its effectiveness across all risk stratifications. This broader applicability of brachytherapy allows more patients to benefit from this targeted treatment option, potentially reducing the need for invasive surgeries.

The presentation also delves into the topic of toxicity, showcasing the manageable side effects of brachytherapy compared to surgery. By minimizing damage to surrounding tissues, brachytherapy reduces the risk of complications such as urinary incontinence and erectile dysfunction, which are more commonly associated with surgery.

This lecture is part of a Point-Counterpoint debate. Its opposing lecture is “Point-Counterpoint: Surgery vs. Brachytherapy for Intermediate and High-Risk Prostate Cancer – Surgery.”