What are the advantages of HDR Brachytherapy?
• Short course of treatment compared to other types of radiation treatment (1 week) • Preservation of organ structure and function • Fewer side effects • Excellent coverage of possible microscopic extension of cancer • Knowledge of radiation dose distribution before treatment is given • Accuracy and precision of tumor specific radiation dose delivery • Minimizes areas of radiation overdose (hot spots) or underdose (cold spots) • Organ motion (target movement) is not a problem for HDR as it is with external beam Prostate Specific • Effective treatment for cancer recurrence (termed “salvage” therapy) • No radiation source (seeds) migration into other organs • No radiation exposure to other persons Breast Specific • Conserves the breast and yields excellent cosmetic results • Reduces radiation dose to the heart, lungs, and opposite breast • Doesn’t cause a delay in other treatments such as chemotherapy For more information on the advantages for specific cancer sites please click on the ap
