Brachytherapy, or Internal Radiation Therapy, is a type of radiation that uses sealed radioactive sources
to deliver a high dose of radiation directly to a tumor. The radioactive sources are placed inside or near
the tumor, which allows for a more focused dose to the cancer cells.
Brachytherapy, may be given along with external beam therapy to help destroy tumor cells for certain
types of cancer. Brachytherapy may be used to treat many types of cancer, including prostate, head and
neck, breast, uterus, cervix, vagina, and eye,
There are several advantages to brachytherapy. First, Brachytherapy allows your health care team to use
higher doses of radiation than would not be possible with external radiation. This is because
brachytherapy delivers radiation directly to the treatment area. This lowers the risk of hurting healthy
tissue that is nearby.
Second, the overall treatment time can be shorter with brachytherapy because a larger dose of radiation
can be safely delivered at one time.
Third, brachytherapy is a minimally invasive procedure. Most brachytherapy is put in place through a
small, flexible tube called a catheter, or a larger device called an applicator.
Why Choose Minneapolis Radiation Oncology for Brachytherapy?
Minneapolis Radiation Oncology is a leading provider of brachytherapy in the Upper Midwest. Our team
of experienced radiation oncologists and physicists provides our patients with the highest quality care.
We offer a variety of brachytherapy techniques, including:
- Low Dose Rate (LDR) Prostate Brachytherapy
- Prostate Brachytherapy involves a procedure where a radiation oncologist and urologist
use ultrasound to place between 70 and 120 radioactive “seeds” in the prostate. The
seeds are about 1/8 of an inch long, the thickness of a pencil lead, and emit low-energy
radiation for approximately six months. After that, they become essentially inactive and
remain safely in place indefinitely. Immediately after this procedure, it is recommended
that you avoid close contact with pregnant women and children for a short time.
- Prostate Brachytherapy involves a procedure where a radiation oncologist and urologist
- High Dose Rate Brachytherapy (HDR)
- Devices called high-dose rate (HDR) remote after-loading machines allow radiation oncologists to complete the brachytherapy procedure in just minutes. Depending on the area treated, you may receive several HDR treatments over a number of days.
If brachytherapy is a treatment option for your cancer, we encourage you to contact Minnesota
Radiation Oncology for a consultation. We would be happy to answer your questions and help you
decide if brachytherapy is the right treatment for you. Learn more about radiation therapy at
https://mropa.com/what-to-expect/what-is-radiation-therapy/ or contact us.
