Brachytherapy

Synonyms

Internal radiation therapy

Definition

Brachytherapy is a form of radiation therapy and often indicated for the treatment of specific, recurrent brain tumors and head or neck cancers. The procedure involves the placement of radioactive (e.g., iridium-192, palladium-103, or iodine-125) seeds inside or adjacent to a targeted lesion. The primary advantage of brachytherapy is that the treatment allows for a higher radioactive dose to be delivered to the tumor bed without damaging the surrounding, healthy brain tissue (Sneed, Prados, Phillips, Weaver, and Wara 1992). In particular, high-dose rate brachytherapy utilizes catheters to mitigate exposure and accelerate the treatment time. Intracavitary brachytherapy is another subtype that involves the use of a balloon catheter which delivers localized radiation therapy to the affected area. Following the completion of radiotherapy, the radiation source and balloon catheter are then removed. Brachytherapy is a safe procedure, although...