Role in Treating Cancer

Brachytherapy implies that the source of radiation is very close to the target to be treated. Intracavitary brachytherapy is a method for delivering very localized radiation to small tumours, which have not spread, or to deliver an additional dose of radiation to a small volume at high risk for recurrence. It is achieved by placing a small radiation source directly into a naturally occuring body cavity.

Common Indications

Intracavitary brachytherapy is used in patients with cancers of the cervix after external radiation therapy has been completed. It is also used for patients with cancer of the uterus who have had surgery and have a high risk of recurrence at the top of the vagina. Intracavitary radiation is also used as an adjunct to external beam radiotherapy in some cases of esophageal cancer and lung cancer.

Benefits

The amount of external beam radiation that can be safely delivered to a big volume is often much less than the dose that is required to kill the tumour. The pattern of the radiation dosage from brachytherapy devices allows the delivery of additional radiation to the volume of interest without exposing the surrounding normal tissues to excessive radiation.

Special Programs

At the Princess Margaret Hospital there are a number of different methods for delivering brachytherapy. We can provide high-dose, slow continuous or intermittent/pulsed radiation. Slow continuous and intermittent/pulsed radiation require hospital admission, while high-dose rate techniques are done on an outpatient basis.

How to Make a Referral

Patients may be referred to one of the radiation oncologists in the Gynecological Site Group, Gastrointestinal (GI), or the Lung Site Groups either through the departmental referral process or by contacting one of the physicians directly.

This page was last updated July 13th, 2010 at 1:51pm.