Patent Number: 
Section: claims

1. A method for irradiating living tissue using a balloon applicator, comprising:placing the balloon applicator in a cavity of the living tissue, inflating the balloon applicator, and verifying the balloon placement by x-ray imaging taken exterior to the patient, the balloon applicator having a balloon wall adjacent to tissue to be irradiated, and the balloon wall being doped with x-ray contrast material, so that the imaging passes x-ray radiation tangentially through edges of the balloon and detects an outline of the balloon as a thin circle and the verifying of balloon placement is performed by detecting the thin circle outline of the balloon,positioning a switchable x-ray source at a desired position in the balloon applicator, andmoving the source through a series of positions within the balloon applicator, to administer radiation to tissue adjacent to the balloon. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of moving the switchable x-ray source comprises stepping the position of the x-ray source through a series of distinct dwell positions, and turning the x-ray source on at each dwell position and off between dwell positions. 3. The method of claim 1, further including modulating x-ray dose depth at different positions within the balloon applicator by adjusting voltage in the switchable x-ray source, and adjusting intensity of x-rays during the treatment in accordance with a dose prescription, as the source is moved through the cavity. 4. The method of claim 1, including a plurality of iterations of the steps of placing the x-ray source into the balloon applicator within the cavity and removing the x-ray source, for a series of dose fractions over a treatment period which may extend over several days. 5. The method of claim 1, wherein the balloon is generally spherical in shape. 6. The method of claim 1, wherein the balloon is generally ellipsoidal in shape. 7. The method of claim 1, wherein the balloon is generally hotdog shaped. 8. The method of claim 1, wherein the cavity in the tissue is irregularly shaped, and wherein the balloon is shaped to match the cavity. 9. The method of claim 1, including administering x-ray dose from the switchable x-ray source at about 5-50 Gy per hour. 10. The method of claim 1, wherein the switchable x-ray source is operated at greater than about 40 kVp. 11. The method of claim 1, wherein the switchable x-ray source is operated at about 40 kVp to 80 kVp. 12. The method of claim 1, wherein, during treatment using the switchable x-ray source, the x-ray source is modulated in intensity of radiation by modulating current in the x-ray source to accurately achieve a prescribed isodose profile. 13. The method of claim 12, further including modulating x-ray dose depth at different positions within the balloon applicator by adjusting voltage in the switchable x-ray source. 14. A method for irradiating living tissue using a balloon applicator, comprising:placing the balloon applicator in a cavity of the living tissue, the applicator having a flexible shaft, and inflating the balloon applicator,positioning a switchable x-ray source in the flexible shaft and at a desired position in the balloon applicator, using a flexible, bendable cable with the x-ray source positioned at the end of the cable, the x-ray source being a miniature x-ray tube no greater than about 3.2 mm in diameter,switching on the x-ray source, andmoving the source through a series of positions within the balloon applicator, to administer radiation to tissue adjacent to the balloon. 15. The method of claim 14, wherein the step of moving the switchable x-ray source comprises stepping the position of the x-ray source through a series of distinct dwell positions, and turning the x-ray source on at each dwell position and off between dwell positions. 16. The method of claim 14, wherein the step of moving the x-ray source comprises moving the source continuously while modulating radiation from the x-ray source by at least one of: (a) switching the x-ray source on and off, (b) varying current in the x-ray source to modulate dose intensity, and (c) varying voltage in the x-ray source to modulate x-ray dose depth at different positions. 17. The method of claim 14, further including modulating x-ray dose depth at different positions within the balloon applicator by adjusting voltage in the switchable x-ray source, and adjusting intensity of x-rays during the treatment in accordance with a dose prescription, as the source is moved through the cavity. 18. The method of claim 14, wherein the step of moving the switchable x-ray source comprises stepping the position of the x-ray source through a series of distinct dwell positions, and modulating radiation from the x-ray source at different positions by at least one of: (a) switching the x-ray source on and off, (b) varying current in the x-ray source to modulate dose intensity, and (c) varying voltage in the x-ray source to modulate x-ray dose depth. 19. The method of claim 18, including a plurality of iterations of the steps of placing the x-ray source into the balloon applicator within the cavity and removing the x-ray source, for a series of dose fractions over a treatment period which may extend over several days. 20. The method of claim 14, including a plurality of iteration of the steps of placing the x-ray source into the balloon applicator within the cavity and removing the x-ray source, for a series of dose fractions over a treatment period which may extend over several days. 21. The method of claim 14, wherein the balloon is generally spherical in shape. 22. The method of claim 14, wherein the balloon is generally ellipsoidal in shape. 23. The method of claim 14, wherein the balloon is generally hotdog shaped. 24. The method of claim 14, including administering x-ray dose from the switchable x-ray source at about 5-50 Gy per hour. 25. The method of claim 14, wherein the switchable x-ray source is operated at greater than about 40 kVp. 26. The method of claim 14, wherein the switchable x-ray source is operated at about 40 kVp to 80 kVp. 27. The method of claim 14, further including draining liquids from the cavity of the living tissue while the inflated balloon is within the cavity, using drain lumens formed in the applicator and extending to exterior of the tissue. 28. The method of claim 27, wherein the balloon wall has an exterior surface with texture to define drain channels to provide a path for flow of liquids toward the exterior of the cavity. 29. The method of claim 28, wherein the balloon applicator has a generally central flexible shaft having drain holes in a distal end of the shaft, distal of the balloon, connected to the drain lumens which pass through the shaft, and further including drain holes in the exterior of the shaft proximal of the balloon for collecting liquids traveling over the surface of the balloon.