Brachytherapy treatment procedure is a kind of radiotherapy that uses sealed radiation source near the place that requires treatment. A high radiation dose is given to the tumour without harming the surrounding healthy tissues. Effective Brachytherapy treatment is used for prostrate, skin, cervical and breast cancer. The therapy is either used alone or in combination with other therapies.
Brachytherapy, also called internal radiation, is used to treat cancer by placing a radioactive material inside your body. The procedure allows doctors to treat cancerous cells by directing higher doses of radiation to specific or targeted areas of the body.
Compared to external beam radiation, Brachytherapy causes fewer side effects and the treatment time is much shorter. Brachytehrapy helps to treat different types of cancers that include bile duct cancer, cervical cancer, breast cancer, pancreatic cancer, eye cancer, Esophageal cancer, soft tissues cancers, tectal cancer, vaginal cancer, head and neck cancer, and so on.
The procedure may be used as a solo treatment or can be used in combination with other cancer treatments. Although, there are fewer side effects of Brachytherapy, the effects are limited only to the specific areas where the treatment is done. There are two major types of Brachytherapy that include low dose rate (LDR) treatment and a high dose rate (HDR) treatment.
LDR brachytherapy uses small radioactive seeds by placing them in or near the tumour. The seeds stay in its place permanently and releases radiation over several week or even months. The technique is prominently used for treating localised prostate cancer. On the other, HDR brachytherapy follows a different pathway. The radioactive sources placed in the body are removed during each session. The radiation sources help deliver short-lived but intense dose of radiation. This type of treatment is used for treating localised and high-risk gynaecological cancers and prostrate cancers, among others.
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Brachytherapy is usually performed as an outpatient procedure, so the patient is released on the same day. Although, you may not suffer any serious discomfort or pain, you may notice soreness at the operation sites after a few days. Use pain relievers or antibiotics as prescribed by your doctor.
Refrain from strenuous activities for at least two days, and return to work only when it is advised by your doctor. Abstain from sex for a minimum of two weeks after the procedure. It can, therefore, be said that the recovery of brachytherapy is short and quick, letting you to get back to your daily routine in a few days.