Internal Radiation Therapy With or Without External-Beam Radiation Therapy in Treating Patients With Localized Prostate Cancer

You may be eligible if

• DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:
• Histologically confirmed adenocarcinoma of the prostate, meeting one of the following criteria:
• * Low-risk disease (T1-T2a, Gleason score ≤ 6, and PSA \< 10 ng/mL)
• * Low intermediate-risk disease (T1-T2c, Gleason score ≤ 6, and PSA \< 20 ng/mL OR T1-T2a, Gleason score 7, and PSA \< 10 ng/mL)
• No known nodal (N0 or NX) or distant (M0 or MX) metastases
• No pubic arch interference, as defined by either of the following:
• * Maximum transrectal ultrasound-determined anterior-posterior (z-axis) dimension \< 4.3 cm
• * No more than 25% prostate volume blocked (by pubic arch) on CT scan simulation at A10°I beam's eye view
• Prostate planimetry volume ≤ 60 cc as determined by step-section transrectal ultrasound
• American Urological Association voiding symptom index ≤ 12
• Peak uroflow rate (Q\_max) ≥ 12 cc/second
• Post-void ultrasound bladder residual volume ≤ 100 cc
• PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:
• Zubrod performance status 0-1
• Life expectancy ≥ 5 years
• WBC \> 2,000/μL
• Platelet count \> 100,000/μL
• PT \< 1.5 times upper limit of normal
• No diabetes mellitus associated with vascular ulcers or wound-healing problems
• No blood dyscrasias
• No inflammatory bowel disease
• No connective tissue disorder
• No other prior or concurrent invasive malignancy (except nonmelanoma skin cancer) or lymphomatous or hematological malignancy (except chronic lymphocytic leukemia/lymphoma) unless patient has been continually disease-free for ≥ 5 years
• No medical or psychiatric condition that would preclude giving informed consent or complying with study treatment
• Able to undergo anesthesia
• PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:
• No prior transurethral resection of the prostate
• No prior prostatic cryoablation or high-intensity focused ultrasound
• No prior prostatectomy
• No prior prostatic enucleation
• No prior pelvic external beam radiotherapy
• No prior radionuclide prostate brachytherapy
• No prior hemi- or total hip arthroplasty
• Neoadjuvant androgen suppression therapy allowed provided it was initiated 2-6 months prior to study entry and its total duration is ≤ 6 months
• No concurrent anticoagulation therapy, including heparin or coumadin