St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center is proud to offer Brachytherapy for cancer treatment. Brachytherapy, sometimes called internal radiation or implant radiation, is a procedure where radioactive materials are placed inside, or very near tumors. It is an effective treatment for several types of cancer, including gynecologic cancer, breast cancer, lung cancer and thyroid cancer.
The radiation source, which looks like seeds, ribbons, or wires, is put into the patient's body. The doctor will place a small holder, such as a thin tube called a catheter in or near the cancer cells. Sometimes an applicator or a balloon attached to a thin tube is used. Then the seeds, ribbons, or wires are put inside the small holder so that the radiation can reach and destroy cancer cells.
Depending on the type of implant received, the radiation source may stay in place for minutes, hours, or days.
Types of Brachytherapy
- Low-dose rate implants: These implants stay in for hours or days. Often they stay in for 1 to 7 days and then are taken out.
- High-dose rate implants: These implants stay in place for a few minutes at a time and are then taken out. The holder or catheter may stay in place or it may be put in place before each treatment.
Contact Us
For more information regarding brachytherapy at St. Joseph's, call 602-406-ONC1 or toll-free 1-877-602-4111.
