Brachytherapy, High Dosage Rate

Abstract

Abstract Brachytherapy is a form of radiotherapy whereby a radioactive source is used inside or at short distance from the tumor. There are three different forms of brachytherapy: interstitial, intracavitary, and skin therapy. In interstitial brachytherapy, the radioactive sources are implanted inside and throughout the tumor volume; in intracavitary brachytherapy the sources are placed in the body cavities very close to the tumor; while in skin therapy the sources are placed on the skin surface. Conventionally, brachytherapy implants have delivered the radiation at a low dose rate (dose rates of <1 Gy/h). Low dose‐rate (LDR) interstitial implants can be temporary (meaning that the radioactive sources are left in place for a period of time, usually a few days, and then removed) or permanent (left in place without removal), while intracavitary implants are temporary. The advent of methods to deliver the dose at a much higher dose rates, in the range of 1–5 Gy/min, brought an increase in the use of brachytherapy. All high dose‐rate (HDR) brachytherapy treatments are temporary and treatments are administered using discrete fractions.

Related Papers

• → Comparative Analysis of 60Co and 192Ir Sources in High Dose Rate Brachytherapy for Cervical Cancer(2022)13 cited
• → Pulsed dose rate brachytherapy – is it the right way?(2010)17 cited
• → A review of the clinical experience in pulsed dose rate brachytherapy(2015)21 cited
• → The 1991 George edelstyn memorial lecture: Needles, wires and chips — Advances in brachytherapy(1992)1 cited
• → Brachytherapy, High Dosage Rate(2006)