St. James offers new treatment for prostate cancer

By Tim Trainor - 12/20/2008

Dr. John Stevenson, left, is pictured in a prodecure room at St. James Healthcare where he uses brachytherapy to treat patients with prostate cancer. Walter Hinick photos / The Montana Standard

A new procedure to combat prostate cancer is being performed at St. James Healthcare in Butte.

Since 1992, Dr. John Stevenson has been performing brachytherapy, an outpatient procedure that involves inserting 80 to 100 radiation "seeds" into the prostate.

The University of California at Los Angeles-trained oncologist was named St. James' medical director of radiation in September and brought the new treatment with him.

"This is a significant advance in the treatment of prostate cancer in Butte," Stevenson said. "Brachytherapy is truly state-of-the-art treatment." Stevenson, 48, has been at the forefront of prostate surgery for more than a decade. He was integral in developing the Arnold Palmer Prostate Center at the $60 million Lucy Curci Cancer in Rancho Mirage, Calif.

So what brings Stevenson to Butte?

A daughter.

Stevenson and his wife, Amie, a Kalispell native, decided to move from the hectic California life to Montana, to raise their daughter here.

"Amie hadn't been here for awhile, and I had never been here," Stevenson said.

He was impressed with both the facilities at St. James and the Butte community.

"The people here are wonderful," he said. "They made it easy for me during the transition." The transition to brachytherapy has been easy for the hospital as well.

It's a relatively simple, 45-minute outpatient procedure that uses a plastic, credit-card sized grid to place the seeds exactly where Stevenson wants them.

The seeds, which vary in radiation power in relation to the cancer's stage, are stranded together by a substance similar to shrink-wrap so they stay in place.

Eventually, the seeds dissolve and the success rate using brachytherapy on early stage prostate cancer is 90 to 95 percent.

"It's a very solid option for patients who catch prostate cancer early," See PROSTATE, Page D6 Stevenson.

And compared to other treatment options, including prostate removal, external radiation and cryotherapy, its impact on patient's quality of life is minimal. Little pain is associated with the procedure, patients can go home directly afterward and they are usually are back to 100 percent within a few days.

"Doctors seem to undervalue quality-of-life questions for many of our patients when considering treatment options," said Stevenson.

He said this procedure is one of the rare times both quality-of-life and success rate intersect.

"There is no ‘best' treatment — it depends on the case," he said. "But for many patients, brachytherapy is as good as or better than anything out there." — Reporter Tim Trainor may be reached via e-mail at tim.trainor@lee.net or call 496-5519.