Radioactive "seeds" that are sometimes used to treat early prostate cancer may do widespread damage to the DNA in a man's sperm, a small study finds.
Known as brachytherapy, the treatment involves implanting radiation-emitting pellets into the prostate gland to kill off cancer cells.
The damage, researchers say, would seem to be enough to make a man infertile. And they should be aware of that going into treatment.
Men who are having their prostates surgically removed and still want to have children can opt to bank their sperm ahead of treatment.
Similarly, Fleshner said, "if a man is going for brachytherapy, then sperm-banking may be a good idea."
But in weighing treatment options, any man has to discuss the benefits and risks of each with his doctor, according to Fleshner.
In general, any prostate cancer therapy can have lasting side effects, like urinary incontinence and erectile dysfunction.
And because brachytherapy is used for early-stage prostate cancer, some men who are candidates for it may also be able to delay having any treatment at all.
That's because prostate cancer is often slow-growing and may never advance to the point of threatening a man's life. So many men with early-stage tumors can opt for "active surveillance" -- which means monitoring the prostate cancer over time to see if it's progressing.
Read the full Reuters Health report:
Seed therapy for prostate cancer may zap fertility
