The Comparative Effectiveness and Cost-Effectiveness of Brachytherapy in Prostate Cancer

In a careful examination of the peer-reviewed literature, brachytherapy emerges as the most costeffective treatment for lowto intermediate-risk prostate cancer, providing superior or equivalent effectiveness at lower overall direct costs to the healthcare payer as well as lower indirect costs (e.g., productivity loss) to the patient. Brachytherapy’s lower overall direct and indirect costs are due to its low adverse effect rates and to its convenient, typically one-time, outpatient-based administration.