Brachytherapy

Radiation treatment given by placing radioactive material directly in or near the target, which is often a tumor. Brachytherapy for prostate cancer, for example, is also called interstitial radiation therapy or seed implantation. In brachytherapy for prostate cancer, radioactive seeds are implanted in the prostate. The seeds might be titanium-encased pellets containing the radioisotope iodine-125. "Brachy-" is Greek for "short." The opposite of brachytherapy is teletherapy, treatment in which the radiation source is at a distance from the target.

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Radiotherapy in which the source of irradiation is placed close to the surface of the body or within a body cavity; e.g., application of radium to the cervix.

- high-dose-rate b. high-dose b. over time.

- interstitial b. radiotherapy by implantation of radioactive needles or other sources directly into and around the tissue to be irradiated.

- remote afterloading b. locally delivered radiotherapy that is loaded remotely into previously placed receptacles.

- stereotactic b. radiotherapy delivered with the help of CT-guided tissue localization.

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brachy·ther·a·py -'ther-ə-pē n, pl -pies radiotherapy in which the source of radiation is placed (as by implantation) in or close to the area being treated

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n.

radiotherapy administered by implanting radioactive wires or grains into or close to a tumour. This technique is used in the treatment of many accessible tumours (e.g. breast cancer) and is increasingly used in the treatment of localized prostate cancer. Intravascular brachytherapy has recently been used in the construction of radioactive metallic stent for arterial procedures, to delay or prevent restenosis.

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brachy·ther·a·py (brak″e-therґə-pe) in radiotherapy, treatment with ionizing radiation whose source is either implanted within the body, applied to the surface of the body, or located a short distance from the body area being treated; cf. teletherapy.