Brachytherapy
Brachytherapy, often referred to as internal radiation, is a radiation therapy technique in which a radioactive source(s) is placed directly into or adjacent to a cancer. Brachytherapy often plays a role in the treatment of prostate cancer, gynecological cancers and breast cancer. For more information about brachytherapy in breast cancer, please see: Partial Breast Radiation Therapy.
Brachytherapy for Prostate Cancer: A Brief Overview
Brachytherapy, commonly used in the treatment of prostate cancer, is given by two different techniques: a permanent seed implant known as low dose rate brachytherapy (LDRB) and a temporary seed implant called high dose rate brachytherapy (HDRB). With LDRB, a number of radioactive seeds are placed within the prostate. The seeds emit a low dose of cancer-killing radiation over a period of months, and the seeds are not removed at the end of the radiation treatment. In contrast, HDRB is a procedure where one small radioactive source is moved in and out of the prostate via small tubes (catheters) delivering a high dose of radiation in a matter of minutes. The goal with both LDRB and HDRB is to kill the cancer within the prostate in order to cure the patient.
Brachytherapy for Gynecological Cancers: A Brief Overview
Gynecologic cancers are malignancies involving the female reproductive organs. The two most common gynecologic cancers are endometrial cancer and cervical cancer. While surgery is often the first-line therapy, radiation therapy in the form of external beam and brachytherapy also play a role in the treatment of these cancers in certain circumstances. External beam treatment is daily treatment delivered by a linear accelerator. In contrast, brachytherapy, or internal radiation, is a technique that places radiation directly into or around the cancer and is performed as a minor outpatient surgical procedure.
