Brachytherapy

Radiation is an effective treatment for many types of cancer. Internal radiation, also called brachytherapy, is a specialized type of radiation used to treat tumors that haven’t spread.

At Atrium Health Floyd and Harbin Clinic, our radiation oncologists use advanced brachytherapy techniques to help shrink tumors and destroy cancer cells.

What is brachytherapy?

Brachytherapy is a type of radiation therapy. It’s also called internal radiation because it involves implanting radioactive sources into the body.

The implants have radioactive material sealed inside them. Implants can be in the form of pellets, seeds, capsules, ribbons, wires or tubes.

Your radiation oncologist surgically inserts the implants in or near the tumor that needs treatment. Once inside your body, the implant gives off radiation that destroys nearby cancer cells.

Types of brachytherapy

There are three types of brachytherapy used to treat certain types and locations of cancerous tumors. Your radiation oncologist will discuss which type is best for your condition.

• Low-dose brachytherapy: These implants stay in your body for one to seven days. You may remain in the hospital while the implants are in place. When your treatment ends, your doctor will remove the implants.
• High-dose brachytherapy: This higher-intensity treatment typically involves having the implants in for just 10-20 minutes at a time and then removed. You may have high-dose brachytherapy 1-2 times a day over several days or weeks.
• Permanent brachytherapy: These radioactive implants are placed inside the body and stay there permanently. Over time, the amount of radiation they give off gets lower until it eventually stops completely.

Conditions treated with brachytherapy

Brachytherapy can be an effective treatment for cancerous tumors that haven’t spread to any other part of the body. Because the radiation targets the tumor only, it can deliver higher doses more safely.

Brachytherapy most commonly is a treatment for cancers of the:

• Breast
• Cervix
• Eye
• Head
• Neck
• Prostate

Brachytherapy side effects

It’s important to note that having brachytherapy can make you give off radiation. If you’re in the hospital for low- or high-dose brachytherapy therapy, the staff will take precautions to avoid exposure. You may also need to limit your visitors and keep your distance from people. You need to avoid spending any time with children or pregnant women, who are at greater risk from the exposure.

People with permanent brachytherapy implants may have to take similar precautions at first. But because the amount of radiation emitted is lower and continues to drop, the risk to others decreases.

Other side effects of brachytherapy may depend on which area of the body needs treatment. Some common side effects can include:

• Erectile dysfunction (when used to treat prostate cancer)
• Fatigue
• Incontinence or trouble urinating (when used for prostate or cervical cancer)