Prostate cancer brachytherapy: Can I pass radiation to others?

Date Updated: 06/05/2020

Answer Section

You might need to take some precautions, but it depends on the type of prostate cancer brachytherapy you receive.

Prostate cancer brachytherapy is designed to treat the cancer by delivering radiation directly to the prostate, minimizing radiation to the surrounding tissue. The radioactive "seeds" containing your treatment are implanted into your prostate gland.

Prostate cancer brachytherapy can be done with different types of radioactive seeds. The type of seed determines the amount of radiation released by the seeds and the duration of treatment.

Although the seeds remain in your prostate for the rest of your life, the amount of radiation released by them is low to begin with, decreases with time and eventually becomes negligible.

Your radiation oncologist can provide detailed information about the specific treatment used. Recommendations for the first two months after seed implantation might include:

Avoiding sexual intercourse for the first two weeks
After the first two weeks, using a condom during sexual intercourse in case a seed is passed during ejaculation
Limiting close contact with children and pregnant women
Not allowing children to sit on your lap for extended periods

If you travel to foreign countries, you might find that some border security checkpoints have radiation detectors. Consider carrying a card from your radiation oncologist indicating that you have had a prostate seed implant.