Brachytherapy: An effective form of radiation therapy
April 4th 2006
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Brachytherpy (pronounced bray-kee-ther-uh-pee) is a Greek term; "brachy"
means short distance and "therapy" means treatment. It is the form of
radiation therapy that places radioactive materials, or sources, in or
just next to a tumor or body site at risk for harboring tumor cells.
This is in contrast to external beam radiation therapy, which is
delivered via a linear accelerator at a distance from the tumor, outside
the person’s body.
During brachytherapy, the radioactive source or sources are left in
place temporarily or permanently, depending on the type of cancer. To
position the source or sources accurately, special small tubes called
catheters or applicators are used. Also, depending on the area being
treated, people may undergo several treatments over a number of days or
weeks.
There are two main categories of brachytherapy: intracavitary treatment
and interstitial treatment. With the former, the radioactive source or
sources are inserted into a space near the tumor’s location, such as the
cervix, the vagina, the esophagus, or the windpipe. With the latter
form of brachytherapy, the radioactive material is implanted directly
into the tissues, such as the prostate. In fact, a prostate seed
implant is an example of an interstitial implant.
Sometimes, the procedure requires anesthesia and a brief hospital
admission. People who undergo permanent implants have very few
restrictions and may shortly return to their normal activities.
Temporary implants are left inside the person’s body for several
minutes, hours, or days. While the radioactive sources are in place,
the person will stay in a private hospital room. Nurses and others
involved in the person’s medical care take special precautions to limit
their exposure to radiation.
Depending on the type of brachytherapy the person receives, he or she
might need to take some precautions afterwards, particularly if he or
she plans to be around children or pregnant women. The person will be
counseled about this by the radiation therapy team.
The high-dose-rate afterloading machine allows radiation oncologists to
complete brachytherapy quickly, in about 10 to 20 minutes. A single,
potent radioactive source travels through one or more catheters to the
tumor for the amount of time prescribed by the radiation oncologist.
People go home after the procedure. This is in contrast to
low-dose-rate afterloading, which requires at least an overnight
hospital stay in order for the required dose of radiation therapy to be
administered. For the most part, high-dose-rate afterloading, which is
quicker, is also kinder and gentler.
Most people feel little discomfort during brachytherapy. If the
radioactive source is held in place with an applicator, the person might
feel discomfort from the applicator itself. Also, there might be some
soreness from an interstitial implant for the first few days or weeks.
However, if this is the case, there are medications the radiation
oncologist can prescribe to ease the discomfort.
The good news is
that brachytherapy is a sophisticated and highly effective tool at
controlling and even curing cancer. For more information, visit
www.RTanswers.org
Copyright 2006 by Carol L. Kornmehl. All rights reserved. No part of
this article may be reproduced without express written consent of the
author.
Dr. Kornmehl is a
board certified radiation oncologist and author of the critically
acclaimed consumer health book, "The Best News About Radiation Therapy"
(M, Evans, 2004). Her website is
www.RTSupportDoc.com .
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