Procedure Description:

Brachytherapy:

A sealed radiation source is positioned inside or close to the area that has to be treated in brachytherapy, a type of radiation therapy. In addition to being a popular and successful treatment for tumors in many other body areas, brachytherapy is also useful in the treatment of cutaneous, esophageal, breast, prostate, and cervical cancer. According to treatment outcomes, brachytherapy either has cancer-cure rates that are on par with surgery and external beam radiation therapy (EBRT) or even higher when combined with these methods. Brachytherapy can be done either on its own or in conjunction with other treatments like chemotherapy, EBRT, and surgery.

Disease Description:

The best candidates for brachytherapy are those with cancer that hasn't metastasized or spread throughout the body. It works well to eradicate "local" cancers, or tumors that are located only in a certain part of the body.

Brain cancer, breast cancer, cervical cancer, eye cancer, gallbladder cancer, head and neck malignancies, lung cancer, prostate cancer, rectal cancer, skin cancer, thyroid cancer, uterine cancer, and vaginal cancer are among the conditions that can be treated using brachytherapy.

Disease Treatment:

The strength (dosage) and duration of brachytherapy treatments differ. Your body may release minute amounts of radiation during brachytherapy, which could expose nearby people. It's crucial to heed your radiation oncologist's advice regarding when and how to socialize with others while undergoing brachytherapy.

Among the implants used in brachytherapy are: 1- modest-dose rate (LDR) devices, which continually emit modest radiation doses over the course of one to seven days. You will probably remain in the hospital during treatment because you could radioactively expose others during this period. You could also have limitations on who can visit. You might not be able to engage with vulnerable groups, such as children or expectant mothers.

2. High-dose rate (HDR) implants: These implants emit large radiation doses over a period of 10 to 20 minutes. The duration of treatment might range from once a week for up to five weeks to twice a day for up to five days. Many patients who receive HDR visit the hospital for treatment, go home the same day, and then come back for additional care. Some spend the whole time in the hospital. It is possible for your body to release radiation during treatment sessions that could be hazardous to other people. During conversations, your care staff may wear protective gear or watch you from an adjacent room. The radiation is no longer dangerous for others after the sessions are over.

3. Permanent: Radiation is continuously released from permanent radioactive implants, and over time, the radiation content rapidly drops until the implants are no longer radioactive. The seeds, or implants, are about the size of a rice grain and stay inside your body. Another name for this procedure is seed implantation. Your healthcare practitioner may first limit your interactions because you are emitting radiation. You should eventually be able to socialize with people without endangering them with radiation.