Contrast enhanced ultrasound imaging to support prostate cancer brachytherapy treatment and follow up after treatment.

Brachytherapy is globally used as a primary treatment for prostate cancer. The advantage of brachytherapy is that the radiation dose on healthy organs can be limited. Because prostate cancer is a multifocal disease the whole prostate has to be irradiated. With the introduction of 3-dimensional radiotherapy it became possible to treat the prostate gland to high doses without increasing toxicity. In this study new treatment techniques are being used to increase the radiation dose on those places where cancer existence is suspected based on contrast enhanced ultrasound imaging.
Afetr brachytherapy patients will undergo 3 contrast enhanced ultrasound investigations on determined moments in time to follow up suspicious lesions

Brachytherapy is globally used as a primary treatment for prostate cancer. The advantage of brachytherapy is that the radiation dose on healthy organs can be limited. Because prostate cancer is a multifocal disease the whole prostate has to be irradiated. With the introduction of 3-dimensional radiotherapy it became possible to treat the prostate gland to high doses without increasing toxicity. In this study new treatment techniques are being used to increase the radiation dose on those places where cancer existence is suspected based on contrast enhanced ultrasound imaging. By increasing the radiation dose on areas suspicious of cancer oncological outcomes should improve.

Suspicious lesions found with contrast enhanced ultrasound should decrease or disappear during the following up of patients after brachytherapy.

baseline before EBRT, baseline before brachytherapy, 2 weeks after, 3 months after, 6 months after.

Patients will undergo a total of 5 transrectal contrast enhanced ultrasound investigations of the prostate before and after standard brachytherapy treatment. To administer the contrast agent, patients will receive an intravenous infusion line.