How is brachytherapy delivered to the patient?
There are mainly three ways of placing brachytherapy:
Interstitial brachytherapy: the radiation source or implants is placed directly within the tumour and may stay permanently. It is used in case of prostate cancer, for example.
Intracavity brachytherapy: the radiation source or implant is placed in a body cavity such as a vagina or uterus or a cavity created by surgery. It can be done in cases of cervical or endometrial cancer.
Episcleral brachytherapy: This is used to treat cancer or melanoma of the eye by attaching the radiation source to the eye.
The radiation can also be delivered as an Unsealed Internal Radiation Therapy. In this, the medication with radioactive materials is directly injected into a vein or body cavity.