Use of Permanent Interstitial Temperature Self-Regulating Rods for Ablation of Prostate Cancer

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Abstract
Background and Purpose: We have examined a new technique for the thermal treatment of prostate cancer involving the percutaneous placement of small magnetic alloy rods into the gland in a procedure analogous to the placement of permanent brachytherapy seeds. When the patient and the implanted rods are placed in an extracorporeal alternating magnetic Field, the rods heat and can produce tissue necrosis. The rods are temperature self-regulating and produce temperatures no higher than their preprogrammed regulation value. The rods are biocompatable permanent implants, comprised of cobalt and palladium. Materials and Methods: We examined rods that heat to 55°, 60°, and 70°C. Patients are treated for 1-hour sessions and easily have multiple sessions. Results: Isolated rods produced little or asymmetrical necrosis. However, arrays of 70°C rods placed within 1 cm of each other caused consistent necrosis between the rods. The temperature at the edge of the array dropped off quickly, and therefore, the ro...