Brachytherapy , which is performed by the Amethyst Radiotherapy Center in Krakow, among others, involves directly irradiating lesions by placing a radiation source within or adjacent to the tumor. Therefore, brachytherapy is also called contact therapy or close-in radiotherapy. The key advantage of this method of treating malignant tumors is its precision. By placing the radioactive source directly near the tumor (or even within it), it is possible to increase the dose delivered to the tumor while simultaneously reducing radiation exposure to healthy organs.
Brachytherapy for prostate, breast, female reproductive organ cancers, lungs, and other organs uses special applicators placed in natural body cavities (vagina, bronchus, esophagus) or directly into the patient's tissues (breast, prostate). This is accomplished in various ways, using special plastic tubes or needles. Their shape and design are adapted to the area being treated. A transfer tube (tube) is connected to the applicator, allowing the introduction of a radioactive source, such as the iridium-192 isotope. The radioactive source, enclosed in a sealed capsule, is placed for a precisely defined period of time directly next to the tumor. After therapy is completed, the source is removed from the patient's body, and the patient is discharged home or to a hospital ward.
Brachytherapy, as an independent method or combined with teleradiotherapy, is used in the treatment of such malignant tumors as:
- leather
- skin
- prostate,
- breasts
- reproductive organ in women,
- lungs,
- esophagus
- head and neck region.
Limiting the exposure of healthy organs to radiation is particularly important, especially in the case of head and neck cancer, where many vital organs are located. Brachytherapy makes it possible to administer a large dose of radiation with great precision directly to the cancerous lesion, which increases the chance of cure with a relatively low risk of complications.
Brachytherapy can be divided according to the method of introducing the radiation source into the patient's body:
- contact brachytherapy – the radiation source is applied directly to the skin,
- intracavitary brachytherapy - a cylinder conducting radiation is inserted into the body and this technique is most often used in malignant tumors of the uterine corpus, cervix, vagina,
- interstitial brachytherapy - involves piercing the tissue to introduce an applicator that directly touches the lesion, and diodes supplying a radioactive source are connected to it, often used in cases of malignant tumors located around the head.
To increase the strength and effectiveness of the therapy, doctors at the Amethyst Radiotherapy Center combine teleradiotherapy with brachytherapy and chemotherapy. This happens, among others, in the treatment of head and neck, lung, rectal and gynecological cancers.
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