When radiation therapy is delivered internally, it is called brachytherapy. Brachytherapy uses a radioactive source in the form of a wire or a pellet that is sealed in a small container called an implant. The implant is placed directly into the tumor (interstitial) or near the tumor (intercavity). Implants may be permanent (low dose rate) or temporary (high dose rate, commonly called HDR).

High Dose Rate Brachytherapy

High Dose Rate (HDR) Brachytherapy uses very high levels of radiation that require the use of a remote controlled application technique called remote afterloading. To help precise location of the tumor, 3-D planning is used. Key advantages of HDR brachytherapy include:

• Treatment of specific body organs without significant damage to the surrounding tissue
• Enhanced patient comfort and convenience and less overnight hospitalization - most treatments take just 4 to 8 minutes compared with 2 to 3 days for similar low dose rate brachytherapy
• No radiation exposure to supporting medical staff

• Lung

Lung cancer is one of the most common cancers in our region, accounting for nearly 1/5 of all cancer cases. In addition, lung cancer is particularly challenging to treat. The overall five-year survival rate is approximately 13%. But there's an improved survival rate and improved quality of life if the tumor is treated at a very early stage, removed surgically, or treated with a combination of methods.

Brachytherapy can be used alone to treat very early stage endo-bronchial cancer and for localized disease when surgery would be so extensive that it would be difficult to tolerate. In combination with external beam therapy, brachytherapy can improve survival odds for inoperable disease. Used before surgery, brachytherapy can also help decrease the size of a tumor to improve surgical success.

Endobronchial Radiation Patient Education


• Esophageal



• Gynecologic (Cervix, Vagina and Uterus)

Brachythrerapy is often used in addition to surgery and/or external beam radiation therapy to treat female organ (gynecological) cancers. Treatment of cervical cancer by brachytherapy may be a good choice when surgery is impossible or especially risky. Brachytherapy may also be appropriate for advanced vaginal carcinoma and advanced endometrial carcinoma. In addition, brachytherapy may also be used for certain gynecologic carcinomas that recur after surgery or prior to radiation therapy.

Intracavitary Radiation Patient Education
Intracavitary Radiation to the Vaginal Cuff Patient Education
Intracavitary Radiation Using Cylinders Patient Education


• Prostate

Surgery reigned as the traditional "gold standard" of treatment for prostate cancer for many years. The disadvantages of surgery, however, include an inpatient hospital stay, a long recovery period, and incontinence and impotence. Brachytherapy is an attractive alternative. Done as an outpatient procedure, brachytherapy drastically shortens recovery time and significantly reduces incontinence and impotence. Studies have shown prostate seed implant studies are at least as successful as surgery or external beam therapy used alone.

Permanent Seed Implant Patient Education
Temporary Seed Implant Patient Education

Institute Insider - Breast Brachytherapy (PDF)

High Dose Rate Brachytherapy Training Course for Prostate Cancer (PDF)

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Selected Publications
• Using High Dose Rate Brachytherapy to Treat Cervical Cancer
• Using High Dose Rate Brachytherapy to Treat Endometrial Cancer
• Using High Dose Rate Brachytherapy to Treat Prostate Cancer