Brachytherapy (pronounced brake - e - therapy) is a minimally invasive radiation therapy treatment that uses internal radiation to kill cancer cells. The treatment uses small implantable "seeds" placed in cancerous areas that emit radiation and target only cancerous tissues and not harm healthy surrounding tissues.
Uses
Brachytherapy is used most commonly to treat cancers of the prostate while cervix, skin, breast, gallbladder, lung, rectum and other cancers may be treated as well.
Seed Description
Brachytherapy seeds contain three chief forms of radioactive materials: Iodine-125, Palladium-103 and echnogenic Iodine-125. The seeds are about the size of a grain of rice, typically 1/32 of an inch.
Implantation
Performed on an outpatient basis, brachytherapy involves placing the small brachytherapy seeds delivered via a very thin needle. As many as 100 seeds may be used.
Permanent Brachytherapy
Permanent brachytherapy, which is typically employed in the treatment of prostate cancer, implants seeds inside the body that will not be removed. These are typically applied at a lower dose rate of radiation.
Temporary Brachytherapy
Temporary brachytherapy involves implanting the radioactive seeds, then removing them after the radiation has taken its course. This type is most often used for gynecologic cancers and is applied in higher doses than permanent brachytherapy.
Side Effects
Brachytherapy may cause side effects depending on the type of cancers treated. In the case of prostate cancer, side effects include difficulty urinating and a sense of urgency to urinate. However, side effects of open surgery, such as loss of sexual function, are frequently not experienced with brachytherapy. Other general side effects may include nausea and pain.
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