High-Dose Rate Brachytherapy for Cervical Cancer

Also called interstitial irradiation or internal radiotherapy, High-Dose Rate (HDR) brachytherapy is a highly targeted form of internal radiotherapy Cancer Treatment Centers of America (CTCA) uses for cervical cancer treatment. This innovative type of radiation therapy is a hallmark of the comprehensive, aggressive approach to cervical cancer treatment at CTCA. HDR brachytherapy is often used to treat cervical cancer, as well as cancers of the breast, lung, prostate, rectum, tongue and uterus.

If you have cervical cancer, HDR brachytherapy may greatly reduce both your recovery time and the severity of damage to your neighboring, healthy uterine tissue. Expert gynecologic and radiation oncologists at CTCA utilize brachytherapy as a post-operative cervical cancer treatment. HDR brachytherapy is typically combined with external beam radiation, and is also often conveniently performed on an outpatient basis.

Why is brachytherapy a quicker and more effective alternative to other types of radiation treatments? Brachytherapy places the radiation directly inside your cervical cancer tumor, allowing the radiation to eradicate the tumor from within the site of the cancer. Not only does this allow for the maximum dose of radiation to be applied exactly where it is most needed, but it also ensures that a minimal amount of radiation reaches the healthy surrounding tissue. In many cases, brachytherapy is an effective alternative to aggressive surgical removal of cervical cancer tumors inside the uterus.

Some of the potential benefits of HDR brachytherapy include the following:

• The entire cervical cancer treatment takes a few days instead of five to seven weeks.
• The radiation dose is concentrated within the area of your body where the tumor was previously removed. Less radiation will reach the healthy part of your uterus, and your body as a whole.
• HDR brachytherapy may also reduce side effects because it does not cause irritation and burning to your skin that is sometimes associated with external radiation cervical cancer treatments.