Patient education: Brachytherapy (The Basics)

What is brachytherapy? — Brachytherapy is a type of cancer treatment. It uses high doses of X-rays, called radiation, to kill cancer cells. There are 2 types of radiation therapy, depending on where the source of the radiation is.

●In "external-beam radiation therapy," the radiation comes from a machine that is outside the body

●In "internal radiation therapy," the radiation comes from a source, such as tiny seeds or capsules, that is put inside the body. Brachytherapy is another name for internal radiation therapy.

In brachytherapy, a doctor puts the source of radiation into or right next to the cancer. The radiation affects only the cancer and the area right around the cancer. The radiation does not affect other parts of the body.

There are 2 types of brachytherapy:

●Low-dose rate (LDR) – A doctor puts the radiation source into the cancer and leaves it there. The source gives off radiation for weeks to months. After that, it doesn't give off any more radiation.

●High-dose rate (HDR) – A doctor puts the radiation source into the cancer for a short time (hours to days) and then removes it from the body.

Doctors can use brachytherapy to treat different types of cancers. These often include cancers of the prostate (figure 1), cervix, and lining of the uterus (endometrium) (figure 2). Some people have brachytherapy along with external-beam radiation therapy or other cancer treatments.

What happens during brachytherapy? — Your doctor will do a procedure to put the radiation source into your body. They will give you medicines to make you feel sleepy or numb. They will put a thin tube into your body near the area with the cancer. Then they will put the radiation through the tube and into the cancer.

For LDR brachytherapy, the doctor will remove the tube and leave the radiation in place. People can then usually leave the hospital.

To get HDR brachytherapy, people need to stay in the hospital. During treatment, people get a certain number of radiation doses, depending on their cancer. For each dose, the doctor will put the radiation through the tube and into the cancer. After a certain amount of time, the doctor will take the radiation out. They will repeat this as many times as needed over days or weeks. The tube might stay in place for the whole treatment, or it might come out and go back in each time.

People who get brachytherapy might need to avoid others, especially children, at certain times during treatment. That's because people can give off radiation when they have a source of radiation in their body. Your doctor or nurse will tell you if and when you need to stay away from other people.

What are the side effects of brachytherapy? — People can have different side effects from brachytherapy. The side effects will depend on the type of brachytherapy, the radiation dose, and the body part involved. Depending on your treatment, your doctor will tell you the side effects that you are likely to have.

Common side effects from brachytherapy can include:

●Swelling inside the body in the area around the radiation

●Redness or soreness where the tube was put in on the outside of the body

Your doctor can treat the side effects in different ways, depending on your symptoms.

What else should I do? — When you get brachytherapy, it's important to:

●Follow all of your doctor's instructions about treatments and visits

●Let your doctor or nurse know about any side effects or problems you have during treatment, or if your health changes

●Take care of yourself by eating well, getting enough sleep, and exercising. To keep your energy up, try to eat foods and drinks with a lot of protein and calories.

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