Contact Us: (632) 723-0101 ext. 5411
Location: Department of Radiation Oncology

Brachytherapy is a procedure in which radioactive material sealed in needles, seeds, wires, catheters, or “applicators” is placed directly into or near body cavities affected by cancer. It is used in the treatment of some gynecologic cancers as well as esophageal cancer, lung cancer, and prostate cancer.

There are two ways to deliver brachytherapy. Doctors determine which method is the most suitable to treat a particular cancerous tumor. With Low Dose Rate Brachytherapy, radiation is given more slowly, typically over a two- to three-day period or even several months. With High Dose Rate (HDR) Brachytherapy, a high dose of radiation is delivered in a short time, typically only minutes (although it may take doctors several hours to plan how to best deliver the high-dose radiation). HDR brachytherapy delivers high doses of radiation into the center of tumors or areas of the body where tumors are located.

St. Luke’s Medical Center offers the most advanced form of controlling the delivery of HDR Brachytherapy.

How the procedure works
HDR brachytherapy is usually delivered through an HDR unit consisting of a "remote afterloader", an extremely high-intensity radiation seed attached to a cable. A computerized motor controls the cable so that the HDR unit moves the radiation seed into precise locations within the attached needle or catheter or applicator. It also controls precisely how long the source stays at each location.

By moving the radiation source to many different precise locations in the treatment device and by controlling how long the source stays at each of these various locations, the HDR unit provides a perfectly programmed delivery of radiation around the treatment device. Varying the positions and time at each position allows St. Luke’s doctors to tailor the dose appropriate for the tumor. Because the radiation does not have to be "beamed in" through normal organs, huge doses of radiation can be safely given in one session.

HDR brachytherapy treatments typically take from 5 to 20 minutes in an outpatient setting. The radiation source is only in the patient during the treatment session; no radiation safety precautions are necessary after the patient leaves the clinic.

Best experts and equipment
To deliver the precise dose of radiation, the St. Luke’s Radiation Oncologist (the brachytherapy physician) works closely with a medical physicist in utilizing a 3-D computer planning system to determine the best way to deliver the HDR radiation within the treatment device. Multiple plans can be reviewed prior to determining the best one to use. Each plan is custom-adjusted by the radiation oncologist before treatment is administered to the patient.

St. Luke’s Department of Radiation Oncology offers a full range of brachytherapy services.