Posted on 6th May, 2024 at 11:57:07 PM
Radiotherapy is an important way to treat cancer. About 4 out of 10 people with cancer have some type of radiotherapy as part of their treatment. It works by destroying the cancer cells by targeting them with radiation, stopping them from dividing and growing.
Brachytherapy can be either:
Permanent - tiny radioactive seeds, the size of a grain of rice, are placed into the tumor. The seeds give off low levels of radiation for a few months, killing the cancer cells. This is commonly used in prostate cancer
Temporary - the source of radiation is delivered to the tumor and then removed after a few minutes
Brachytherapy has been shown to be highly effective in treating many types of cancer. Examples are prostate, breast, cervix, and many more. Brachytherapy is particularly effective for small, localized tumors. It is a commonly used and proven method of treatment which has been in use for over 100 years. In more recent years, new technology has continually improved the treatment to make it even more accurate and effective.
Doctors plan and deliver brachytherapy by using computer-based technology to decide how and where the radiation should be delivered. A special device then ensures that the radiation is delivered precisely and accurately to the target tumor.
