Brachytherapy
Brachytherapy is a special form of radiotherapy for tumours. A radioactive source is inserted directly into a tumour, in its vicinity or in the former tumour bed using various applicators. As the applicator with the radioactive source is positioned very close to the tumour or the former tumour region, it is possible to optimally protect the surrounding healthy tissue and irradiate the tumour region with a high dose.
Various methods are available for this purpose:
This is the most common form of brachytherapy. In this therapy, which only lasts a few minutes, the radiation source is inserted into naturally occurring body orifices to irradiate the tumours located there. Occasionally it may be necessary to perform the treatment under local anaesthetic or general anaesthetic. Brachytherapy can usually be carried out on an outpatient or day-case basis so that you can leave the clinic soon after treatment.
We perform intracavitary brachytherapy for the following conditions
- Tumours of the vagina or uterus
- Tumours of the upper gastrointestinal tract
- Tumours of the airways