Radiation Therapy for Cancer

Brachytherapy

Also known as internal radiation, brachytherapy involves placing radioactive material into a tumor or its surrounding tissue. Because the radiation sources are placed so close to the tumor, your radiation oncologist can deliver a large dose of radiation directly to the cancer cells.

The radioactive sources used in brachytherapy, such as thin wires, ribbons, capsules or seeds, come in small sealed containers. These sources may be implanted permanently or temporarily. A permanent implant remains in the body after the sources are no longer radioactive. Other radioactive sources are placed temporarily inside the body and are removed after the right amount of radiation has been delivered.