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High Dose Rate Brachytherapy
What is High Dose Rate Brachytherapy?
The word "Brachytherapy" comes from the Greek "brachy" meaning "close by" and "therapia", in this instance, referring to a radioactive source applied in or near a tumor.
High Dose Rate Brachytherapy is a safe and proven method that allows your Radiation Oncologist to treat cancer with greater precision and potentially less complications to the patient.
This procedure gives physicians and patients the significant advantage of applying a higher dose of radiation directly to the tumor while sparing healthy tissue and surrounding organs. As a result, this course of treatment is much shorter and more comfortable than other cancer treatments, and is often performed on an outpatient basis.
HDR Brachytherapy is used alone or combined with other treatment modalities, such as external beam radiation. You and your physician will decide your optimal course of treatment.
Advantages of High Dose Rate Brachytherapy
HDR Brachytherapy allows your Radiation Oncology physician to safely prescribe the dose of radiation specifically to the area of interest with greater precision, which brings numerous benefits, including:
- Eliminates prolonged hospitalization as the procedure may be performed on an outpatient basis or possibly with just an overnight stay.
- Greater patient comfort during and after the procedure.
- Treatment is delivered within minutes.
- No side effects associated with the treatment; i.e. nausea, hair loss or diarrhea.
- Minimal recovery time, the patient can safely go home and return to normal activities after the procedure.
How Does it Work?
Like many other radiation treatments, High Dose Rate Brachytherapy (HDR Brachytherapy) uses a radioactive source to eliminate cancerous cells. This treatment is performed with greater precision and shorter treatment times than other procedures.
Your HDR Brachytherapy treatment uses the microSelectron-High Dose Remote Afterloading System developed by Nucletron. This system has been in extensive worldwide use for over a decade and exceeds the most stringent safety requirements of physicians, physicists and regulatory agencies.
A precise dosage of radiation, as prescribed by your physician, is automatically delivered through an applicator which is positioned within the body. The radiation treatment staff monitor your treatment and maintain contact with you throughout the procedure. The treatment is completely safe and painless.
After your treatment, the system returns the radioactive source into the protective storage unit of the remote afterloading machine. Depending on the treatment site, you should be able to return home and normal activity immediately following your treatment. There are no side effects following this procedure, for example nausea, hair loss or diarrhea. The treatment normally requires no special dietary considerations or pre-treatment preparations. You are not radioactive during or after the treatment.
Reference information: http://www.nucletron.com
Please click here to learn more about HDR brachytherapy for prostate cancer.
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