Brachytherapy means delivering radiation from a short distance as by keeping radiation close to tumour.
High dose rate brachytherapy
Brachytherapy by this technique involves short treatment time as dose in delivered at a high dose rate (HDR). This is a special device which usually allows outpatient treatment and there is no need for hospitalization of the patient. There is no risk of exposure of radiation to oncologists, physicist, technicians and visitors close to the patient. Generally, it is used for treatment of cancers of the cervix, Oral Cavity, Breast, Lung, Prostate, skin and soft tissue sarcomas.
HDR Brachytherapy uses dose rates results in treatment times of few minutes. The treatment be used alone or in combination with external beam radiation.
Brachytherapy Room
Brachytherapy Applications
1. Intracavitary Brachytherapy
It consists of positioning applicators (with or without the radioactive sources) into a body cavity in close proximity to the target tissues . The most widely used intracavitary treatment technique is insertion of tandem and colpostat applicators for treatment of cervix cancer.
2. Interstitial Brachytherapy
It consists of surgically implanting small radioactive sources directly into the target tissues through either stainless steel needles all polyvinyl catheters, which are inserted in to the lumen. The procedure is commonly used in cancer breast, soft tissue sarcoma, cancer prostate, cancer cervix, head & neck cancers and at any other sites which can be approached for implantation. A permanent interstitial implant remains in place forever. Iridium wire implants are commonly used in the management of carcinoma breast and peripheral soft tissue sarcomas. Permanent gold, iodine or palladium seed implants are used for cancer of the prostate, lung and anal canal.
3. Intraluminal Brachytherapy
It consists of inserting a single line source into body lumen so as to treat its surface and adjacent tissues. Commonly treated sites are cancers of the lung and oesophagus.
4. Mould Therapy
It consists of an applicator containing an array of radioactive sources that is usually designed to deliver a uniform dose distribution to skin or mucosal surface. It is commonly used for skin cancers over curved surfaces like hands, lips, legs, ears and recurrences in carcinoma breast.