Mira Keyes, MD, FRCPC, presented “Point-Counterpoint: Surgery vs. Brachytherapy for Intermediate and High-Risk Prostate Cancer – Brachytherapy” during the 30th Annual Perspectives in Urology: Point-Counterpoint, on March 10, 2023, at Humphreys Half Moon Inn, San Diego, California.
How to cite: Keyes, Mira. “Point-Counterpoint: Surgery vs. Brachytherapy for Intermediate and High-Risk Prostate Cancer – Brachytherapy.” March 10, 2023. Accessed Dec 2024. https://grandroundsinurology.com/point-counterpoint-surgery-vs-brachytherapy-for-intermediate-and-high-risk-prostate-cancer-brachytherapy/
Point-Counterpoint: Surgery vs. Brachytherapy for Intermediate and High-Risk Prostate Cancer – Brachytherapy – Summary
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.”
About the 30th Annual Perspectives in Urology: Point Counterpoint conference: Presented by Program Chair and Grand Rounds in Urology Editor-in-Chief E. David Crawford, MD, this conference brought together leading experts in urology, medical oncology, and radiation oncology to discuss and debate the latest topics in genitourinary cancers, primarily prostate cancer and bladder cancer. This interactive conference offered topical lectures, pro/con debates, interesting-case presentations, interactive panel discussions, and interactive audience and faculty networking.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Dr. Mira Keyes is a Clinical Professor at the University of British Columbia (UBC) and a radiation oncologist at the Vancouver Centre of the British Columbia Cancer Agency (BCCA). She has also been the Head of the BCCA Prostate Brachytherapy Program since 2007. Dr. Keyes is one of the four founders of the Provincial BCCA Prostate Brachytherapy Program. She served as a Prostate Brachytherapy Program Quality Assurance Chair from 2003-2007, and as a UBC Radiation Oncology Residency Training Program Director from June 2001 to June 2006. From 2007-2012, she was a member of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada Examination Board in Radiation Oncology. From 2006-2009, she served as a UBC-BCCA Research Ethics Board Member. She is a member of BCCA provincial GU and Breast Tumour Groups. Her research interests include prostate brachytherapy outcomes, quality assurance, and translational research. She has been an invited speaker for CARO (Canadian Association of Radiation Oncology), CBG (Canadian Brachytherapy Group), ASTRO (American Society for Therapeutic Radiation Oncology), ABS (American Brachytherapy Society), and the Seattle Prostate Institute Advanced Brachytherapy Course.
