Brachytherapy is a medical term that refers to internal radiation therapy. It is one of several types of radiation therapy used to treat cancer.
What is Brachytherapy?
Brachytherapy refers to various procedures that place radioactive material inside your body. It is not as common as external radiation, where a machine sends radiation beams into the body. For certain types of cancer, brachytherapy is as effective as - or more effective than - external treatments. It may be completed in less time. In some cases, brachytherapy is combined with external radiation therapy.
During brachytherapy, you’ll receive a permanent or temporary implant containing radioactive material. There are many types of implants, including seeds, wires and balloons. Your implant will be placed inside, or next to, your tumor. Mercy offers three main types of brachytherapy:
High-dose-rate (HDR) brachytherapy – places a powerful radiation source in your body for a few minutes at a time. You may need several short treatment sessions which may range from a few days to a few weeks.
Permanent brachytherapy – implants tiny, rice-sized seeds within the body which emit radiation for several weeks. As time passes, the seeds become less radioactive. The inactive implants remain in your body permanently.
Skin HDR – uses an applicator to place a radioactive substance on areas of skin with basal cell or squamous cell skin cancers. The process causes minimal scarring and side effects. Patients may require several treatments over 4-6 weeks.
The type of brachytherapy you'll need depends on several factors. These include the size and location of your tumor, and whether you're also undergoing other cancer treatments (like chemotherapy or surgery). Brachytherapy is often used to treat cancers of the breast, prostate, cervix and uterus.
Benefits of Brachytherapy
All types of radiation therapy kill cancer cells. But brachytherapy offers several advantages. These include:
It can treat a smaller area of the body, with higher doses of radiation, in fewer treatment sessions.
Because radiation is confined to a small area of your body, there is less damage to nearby healthy tissue.
For certain types of cancer, brachytherapy is as effective as - or more effective than - external treatments.
What to Expect from Brachytherapy Treatment
Your Mercy care team will make sure you understand what to expect before, during and after brachytherapy treatment. For example:
Most patients who receive LDR need to stay in the hospital for one or more nights. You will be able to go home once your implant is removed.
Following permanent brachytherapy, your body might give off tiny amounts of radiation while the implant is active. Your doctor will tell you if you should limit contact with pregnant women or young children.
Permanent metallic implants may also trigger metal detectors during security screenings at airports and other facilities.
Brachytherapy may cause temporary side effects. These often include fatigue, swelling or tenderness in the treatment area.
Brachytherapy for prostate cancer may temporarily or permanently impact male fertility. If you’re concerned about having children, talk to your Mercy physician. He or she can recommend options to preserve healthy sperm before you begin treatment.
If you have questions or concerns about brachytherapy, please talk to one of your Mercy caregivers. We'll help you understand your options and make decisions best suited to your condition.
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