Regulatory evaluation of prostate volume implants: Pitfalls of a retrospective assessment

Of the cases reported to the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) on the basis of Day-1 D90 values, many appear to have been acceptable implants relative to standard-of-practice clinical criteria. The activity-based dose metric, endorsed by the NRC Advisory Committee on the Medical Uses of Isotopes in 2005 and recommended by the VHA Blue Ribbon Panel for Prostate Brachytherapy yields a more robust determination of ME for this population of implants.