OBJECTIVE: The economics of the therapy on patients with stage T1 and T2 prostatecarcinoma with the alternatives Iodine 125-seed implantation in form of Rapid Strand, total prostatectomy and beam radiation is the object of this study. METHODS AND RESULTS: The costs are calculated from the perspective of the health insurance fund, thus giving only direct costs. For the observed timeperiode of seven years, allowing for a discount rate of 5 %, a therapy with Iodine 125-seed implantation amounted to a total of DM 3,380 direct costs. The total prostatectomy resulted in a total of DM 15,298 direct costs and beam radiation was a total of DM 8,058 direct costs. In calculating the output of alternative therapies, the PSA-progression free survival parameter of the patients was used to define the effectiveness. Total prostatectomy was given an effectiveness rate of 71 %, for the Iodine 125-seed implantation a rate of 89 % was given and for beam radiation a rate of 74,2 % was given. These effectiveness rates were taken from clinical studies. The effectiness adjusted costs then came to DM 3,798 for Iodine 125-seed implantation, DM 21,547 for prostatectomy and DM 10,859 for beam radiation treatment.