Effect of transurethral resection (TUR) of the prostate on the delivery and outcome of brachytherapy in the treatment of patients with localized prostate cancer

Prostate cancer (PC) is an extremely common clinical and social problem in men all over the world. Modern possibilities of early diagnosis and requirements for preserving the quality of life of patients with PC dictate the necessity to choose organ-preserving methods of treatment. Brachytherapy (BT) of prostate is a radical and effective method of treatment of localized PC, allows to save the quality of life of a patient and provide high satisfaction of treatment results. The use of BT in the treatment of localized PC is often limited by the presence of infravesical obstruction (IVO). A new wave of interest in transurethral resection of the prostate (TUR) has been driven by the possibility of eliminating the IVO, thus preparing patients for contact radiotherapy. The first data were obtained in 1991 and indicated a high risk of urinary incontinence after BT in patients with a history of TUR. However, subsequent studies from 1990 to 2021 demonstrated satisfactory results and adequate urinary quality, comparable to that of patients without a history of TUR. The development of dosimetric planning systems and improved means of intraimplantation navigation during BT have helped to reduce the risk of several complications. The development of aspecial technique for TUR before BT has played an important role. All of the above suggests the necessity of introducing TUR into the multimodal plan of organ-preserving treatment of PC.