X-Rays Made Easy

What Is It?

    Internal Radiation Therapy, also known as brachytherapy, is a radioactive source that is put into the body at or near a tumor. The therapy can either be temporary or permanent, but, ultimately, both will result in the damage of cancer cell DNA and will destroy the ability for it to divide and grow. This therapy enables doctors to allow a higher dose of radiation in a smaller area compared to external radiation treatment.

 

Who's Involved?

    A team comprised of a radiation oncologist, medical physicist, dosimetrist, radiation therapist, radiation therapy nurse, and sometimes a surgeon are assembled for this therapy. Respectively, the team is in charge of operating different task: the oncologist evaluates the patient, determines the therapy, and locates where to insert the radioactive source; the medical physicist and dosimetrist make the treatment calculations; with this information, the radiation oncologist then suggests the proper dosage; the radiation therapist use their prowess as trained technologist to assist in the delivery of the treatment; the nurse provides the patient with information, adheres potential reactions, and manages care for the brachytherapy catheters; and the surgeon assists the oncologist in placing the devices that are inserted to the patient.

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Prior to Session

    However, prior to performing the procedure, the implants, or the radioactive source, are kept in containers which prevent others from being affected by the radiation. Consequently, that is why many patients are treated in a room that already has radiation to reduce the risk of exposure and why the health professionals wear protective gear to not get contaminated once the implants are taken out.

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During Session

    When being treated, a patient will undergo either general (deep sleep) or local (portion of the body is numb) anesthesia. The doctor will determine the exact location of where to put the radioactive source by putting the applicatiors in an imaginary test, for example an x-Ray. There, the patient will either undergo temporary or permanent internal radiation therapy.

    In temporary brachytherapy, the highly radioactive material is inserted into a catheter or slender tube -- at either a low-dose rate or a high-dose rate -- until withdrawn. Low-dose rates is when the patient is treated with a low dose for either a few hours at a time or a few days. If using larger implants, the patient may have to stay in bed, fairly still to keep it from moving. High-dose rates, however, is treated only for a few minutes with powerful radioactive sources in the applicator. This may be repeated over the course of a few days or weeks, but is not left in the body. The applicator may only be placed between treatments, or put in before each treatment.

 

Permanent Radioactive Implants

    Permanent radioactive implants are put through an applicator and this time, the applicator is the only thing removed. Also known as seed implantation, this version involves placing radioactive seeds or pellets (about the size of rice) in or near the tumor for several months. During this time, the radioactivity level eventually diminishes to nothing; therefore, the seeds remain on the body with no detrimental impact.