Welsh health officials will discuss a review of the drug this week

Brachytherapy has been available for two years but Health Commission Wales (HCW) withdrew funding recently.

Campaigners say it is another example of a healthcare postcode lottery.

The HCW said a review has been completed and a proposal to commission a low dose of the treatment will be discussed this week.

Dave Powell, from Barry in the Vale of Glamorgan, was diagnosed with prostate cancer in January this year.

He said his consultant had recommended him for brachytherapy but health officials were refusing to pay for it.

Mr Powell said: "On 14 March, I was put forward for this treatment and then I was told on the 12 April that they wouldn't fund it."

Brachytherapy is becoming recognised as an alternative to both radical surgery and standard radiotherapy for prostate cancer treatment.

It involves radioactive seeds being implanted directly into the prostate gland.

The Prostate Cancer Charity said its advantage was its "sheer convenience", with far shorter stays in hospital.

'Completed its review'

John Neate, the charity's chief executive said the treatment had grown in England and Scotland over the last year, with the number of centres doubling to 24.

It was well established in the US, with 40 to 50% of prostate cancer treatment involving brachytherapy. He believes that figure is England and Scotland is around five per cent.

Mr Neate said of the HCW decision: "We can only assume there's some nervousness about this and in some way it's still regarded as an experimental treatment and novel.

"I think it's perfectly reasonable that HCW should conduct a review but it should not have stopped access while it was carrying out this review."

A spokesman for the Welsh Assembly Government said: "Health Commission Wales has completed its review of commissioning arrangements for low-dose brachytherapy in the treatment of prostate cancer.

"A draft policy and a covering paper proposing an option for the commissioning of low-dose brachytherapy in 2006/7 will be discussed at the National Commissioning Advisory board meeting on 7 June."

Mr Powell, who said he had been told he could appeal as a special case, added:

"Anyone diagnosed with prostate cancer is a special case as far as I'm concerned.