A comprehensive study into treatments for prostate cancer has found that palladium-based therapies provide more effective than iodine alternatives.

According to the research, carried out by experts from a number of US institutions including the New York Prostate Institute, patients treated with palladium therapies were less likely to suffer a recurrence of prostate cancer than those who were treated with iodine.

Speaking at the annual meeting of the American Society of Therapeutic Radiation Oncologists (Astro), Dr Louis Potters, of the New York Prostate Institute, revealed: "Based on the experience of the multi-institutional team of physicians who tested the patients and generated the data presented, there was a more positive outcome for patients that were treated with palladium over iodine."

He explained: "The research results are compelling in that it provides a platform by which the medical community can distinguish how we prescribe brachytherapy [a form of radiation therapy] based on a patient's underlying risk."

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