Q&A

Where do you put fiducial markers in the prostate?

Where do you put fiducial markers in the prostate?

Once you’re asleep, your healthcare provider will use rectal ultrasound to see your prostate. They’ll put tiny needles into your prostate through your perineum (the area of skin between your scrotum and anus). They’ll place 3 fiducial markers into your prostate through the needles, then remove the needles.

How are fiducial markers placed?

Fiducial markers are placed using a needle that is inserted into the area of the lesion with the help of computed tomography (CT) or ultrasound (US). Markers pre-filled in the needle are then advanced to carefully plotted positions in and around the tumor.

What are prostate fiducials?

Fiducial markers are tiny metal objects (about the size of a grain of rice). They help your doctor line up the beams of radiation to make sure your radiation therapy is delivered exactly the same way each time. This helps them to target your tumor and avoid your healthy tissue.

Are gold seeds radioactive?

The gold seeds are not radioactive. They will stay in your prostate. Pictures of your pelvis (see example below) will be taken before every radiation therapy treatment.

Are fiducial markers necessary?

Some argue that, with the widespread use of cone-beam CT, prostate visualization without the use of fiducial markers is now possible, and such markers are no longer needed.

Do fiducial markers dissolve?

The SpaceOAR will dissolve and be resorbed by the body after 3 months. Fiducial markers are small grains of gold that are placed in the prostate to assist the radiation oncologist to deliver radiation to the prostate more accurately.

How long are prostate seeds radioactive?

About 100 seeds are commonly implanted. The implants remain in place permanently, and become biologically inert (inactive) after about 10 months. This technique allows a high dose of radiation to be delivered to the prostate with limited damage to surrounding tissues.

How are seeds placed in the prostate?

Permanent prostate brachytherapy involves placing many radioactive seeds within the prostate to treat prostate cancer. During the procedure, an ultrasound probe is placed in the rectum to help guide the placement of seeds. The seeds emit radiation that dissipates over a few months.

How is a fiducial seed placed in the prostate?

Prostate Fiducial Seed Placement. In patients who are planning to undergo radiation therapy for prostate cancer, a small gold marker (fiducial marker) is placed into the prostate tissue with the same method as a biopsy.

Where to get a fiducial marker for your prostate?

This information will help you get ready for your procedure to place fiducial (fih-DOO-shul) markers in your prostate at Memorial Sloan Kettering (MSK). It also explains what to expect after your procedure. Your prostate is a walnut-shaped gland that adds liquid to your semen.

How are prostate fiducial marker seeds not radioactive?

These seeds are NOT radioactive. The marker seeds are made of gold or platinum and will stay in the prostate permanently. They are smaller than a grain of rice. Leaving the marker seeds in the prostate gland will not hurt or harm your body in any way.

What are the risks of prostate fiducial marker implantation?

There is a very low risk of a significant side effect such as an infection that could lead to sepsis (an infection that enters your bloodstream). Reference: Gill S, Li J, Thomas J, et al. Patient-reported complications from fiducial marker implantation for prostate imageguided – radiotherapy.