Treatment Technology

Brachytherapy

Radiation Therapy

At Evansville Cancer Center, we provide high-quality, compassionate, local care for anyone diagnosed with cancer. Your treatment options will be different depending on your situation, but we’ll make sure you understand what to expect and where to go if you have further questions.

One treatment for many types of cancer is brachytherapy.

Brachytherapy is an internal radiation therapy where a temporary or permanent radioactive implant is placed inside the patient’s body to provide radiation near the tumor and reduce exposure to healthy tissue around it. Brachytherapy is often used for prostate cancer and many other cancers. Treatment is sometimes done in coordination with other kinds of radiation therapy as well, such as image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT).

What happens during Brachytherapy treatment?

In Brachytherapy, radiation is delivered using either needles inserted into the tissue or by an applicator placed near the tumor. The applicator might be made of tubes, capsules, or balloon-like material and could stay in the body anywhere from a few minutes to a few months as it delivers the radiation. This can be done in three different ways:

• Intracavitary treatment: The implant goes into a body cavity, such as the vagina, uterus, or breast.
• Interstitial treatment: The implant goes directly into the tumor and stays there permanently.
• Unsealed internal radiation therapy: A medicine made with radioactive is injected into a vein or body cavity, depending on the type of cancer.

Brachytherapy implants may be permanent or temporary.

• Permanent brachytherapy, or low-dose rate brachytherapy, uses very small implants called pellets or seeds. These are inserted directly into the tumor and are unlikely to cause any discomfort.
• Temporary brachytherapy involves implants that may be hollow needles, catheters, or balloons filled with fluid. These are inserted near the tumor, then removed after some time. The implants may deliver high-dose or low-dose brachytherapy, depending on your needs.

In some cases, the implant is inserted after the cancer has been removed, with the intention of minimizing the risk of recurrence.

Brachytherapy is usually an outpatient procedure, although you may need to stay in the hospital for a few days if the dosage is higher.

The advantages of Brachytherapy

Brachytherapy can minimize the negative effects of radiation by targeting the tumor and delivering less radiation to the surrounding healthy tissue. It can be extremely effective for cancers caught early enough that they haven’t spread yet. Additionally, side effects tend to be milder, and it’s often an outpatient procedure.

What are some side effects of Brachytherapy radiation therapy?

Although not every patient experiences side effects from radiation treatment, and the treatment itself is usually painless, it’s a good idea to keep an eye out for anything unusual and talk to your care team as soon as possible if you notice anything.

Side effects are specific to the area receiving treatment but may include:

• Swelling, bruising, bleeding, or pain at the location where radiation was delivered
• Short-term urinary symptoms like incontinence or painful urination
• Diarrhea
• Constipation
• Erectile dysfunction

There may also be some things you can do in your daily life to address these issues, depending on their severity. For example, if you experience diarrhea, you could focus on hydration and diet.

Regardless, be sure to be in regular contact with your doctor. We’re here to help!

Our Cancer Care Technologies

We treat patients using proven technologies in radiation oncology, including TrueBeam®, Image-Guided Radiation Therapy (IGRT), RapidArc®, Brachytherapy, and Intensity-Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT). Click below to learn about each of our cancer care technologies.