Fiducial markers in the treatment of prostate cancer: technique and short term observation

Introduction: Prostate cancer (PC) is one of the most common cancers in the elderly population. The incidence is constantly growing. Radiotherapy for PC is rapidly evolving, which contributes to better cancer control. The escalation of RT dose requires better target localisation in order to avoid RT complications. Fiducial markers are improvements widely used for better accuracy of radiation. Material and method: We implanted gold markers to 56 patients with confirmed PC between January and August 2014. After the procedure we controlled complication rate and proper localisation of the markers. Results: No serious complication occurred. We observed a few cases of epididymitis, dysuria, and blood trace in urine. Four patients lost one seed. Conclusions: Implantation of fiducial markers is simple and save ambulatory procedure and improves the results of radical radiotherapy in PC due to exact positioning