Brachytherapy is a type of radiation therapy used to treat cancer. It places radioactive sources inside the patient to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors. This allows your doctor to use a higher total dose of radiation to treat a smaller area in less time.
Your doctor will tell you how to prepare and whether you will need medical imaging. Your doctor may use a computer program to plan your therapy.
Brachytherapy allows doctors to deliver higher doses of radiation to more-specific areas of the body, compared with the conventional form of radiation therapy (external beam radiation) that projects radiation from a machine outside of your body.
Brachytherapy may cause fewer side effects than does external beam radiation, and the overall treatment time is usually shorter with brachytherapy.Brachytherapy can be used alone or in conjunction with other cancer treatments. For instance, brachytherapy is sometimes used after surgery to destroy any cancer cells that may remain. Brachytherapy can also be used along with external beam radiation.
Side effects of brachytherapy are specific to the area being treated. Because brachytherapy focuses radiation in a small treatment area, only that area is affected.
You may experience tenderness and swelling in the treatment area. Ask your doctor what other side effects can be expected from your treatment.
Before you begin brachytherapy, you may meet with a doctor who specializes in treating cancer with radiation (radiation oncologist). You may also undergo scans to help your doctor determine your treatment plan.
Procedures such as X-rays, computerized tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) may be performed before brachytherapy.
Brachytherapy treatment involves inserting radioactive material into your body near the cancer.
How your doctor places that radioactive material in your body depends on many factors, including the location and extent of the cancer, your overall health, and your treatment goals.
Placement may be inside a body cavity or in body tissue:
During intracavity brachytherapy, a device containing radioactive material is placed in a body opening, such as the windpipe or the vagina. The device may be a tube or cylinder made to fit the specific body opening.
Your radiation therapy team may place the brachytherapy device by hand or may use a computerized machine to help place the device.
Imaging equipment, such as a CT scanner or ultrasound machine, may be used to ensure the device is placed in the most effective location.