BRACHYTHERAPY

Course overview

BRACHYTHERAPY IS A PROCEDURE TO TREAT AND MANAGE CANCERS. IT ACTS BY PLACING SOURCES CONTAINING RADIOACTIVE ISOTOPES THAT EMIT RADIATION FOR A SPECIFIED DISTANCE. IT CAN BE USED AS MONOTHERAPY OR IN CONJUNCTION WITH OTHER CANCER MANAGEMENT. BRACHYTHERAPY CAN BE DELIVERED BY SEVERAL MEANS, INCLUDING INTRALUMINAL, INTRACAVITARY, AND MULTI-CATHETER INTERSTITIAL (MIB). SOURCES THAT ARE PERMANENTLY OR TEMPORARILY IMPLANTED WITHIN THE TUMOR ARE LABELED AS INTERSTITIAL BRACHYTHERAPY, WHILE SOURCES PLACED NEAR THE TUMOR ARE CONSIDERED PLESIOTHERAPY. BRACHYTHERAPY IS DIFFERENT FROM OTHER FORMS OF RADIATION THERAPY BECAUSE IT ALLOWS FOR ADMINISTERING HIGHER DOSES OF RADIATION, MINIMIZING INSULT TO SURROUNDING ORGANS. THIS ACTIVITY OUTLINES THE ROLE AND TREATMENT CONSIDERATIONS OF BRACHYTHERAPY IN MANAGING PATIENTS WHO ARE UNDERGOING CANCER TREATMENT.