Pulsed-dose-rate (PDR) brachytherapy is a recent brachytherapy modality combining the radiobiological advantages of low-dose-rate (LDR) brachytherapy with increased possibilities of dose optimization and radiation safety. However, treatment duration remains protracted, as the prescribed dose is typically delivered through pulses that do not exceed 0.5 Gy/h for critical organs. It is frequently ...

Breast conserving surgery (BCS) with following external beam radiation therapy (EBRT) of the conserved breast has become widely accepted in the last decades for the treatment of early invasive breast cancer. The standard technique of EBRT after BCS is to treat the whole breast up to a total dose of 42.5 to 50 Gy. An additional dose is given to treated volume as a boost to a portion of the breas...

Pediatric soft-tissue sarcomas are managed with a multimodality treatment program that includes surgery, chemotherapy, and external-beam radiotherapy (teletherapy). The use of teletherapy in young children can result in significant long-term toxicities (especially growth retardation of bones and organs). Brachytherapy, if feasible, is an attractive alternative for the treatment of pediatric sof...

Objective: In locally advanced cervical cancer, the management consists of external beam radiotherapy and brachytherapy. The impact of intracavitary brachytherapy versus interstitial brachytherapy on local tumor control, survival and complications were prospectively investigated in this study. Methods: A total of 60 patients with stage IIB, IIIB cervical cancer were treated using a combination ...

The biological rationale for the use of brachytherapy, which is undergoing a significant resurgence in the United States, is reviewed with emphasis on low dose rate (LDR brachytherapy). Some of the newer alternatives that have recently been developed, such as pulsed dose rate (PDR) brachytherapy, are discussed.

PURPOSE Permanent prostate brachytherapy has emerged as a standard of care treatment for approximately 50,000 men annually who present with clinically localized prostate cancer. The purpose of this review was to provide clarification on the appropriateness criteria and management considerations for the treatment of prostate cancer with permanent prostate brachytherapy. METHODS Panel members w...

BACKGROUND Choroidal malignant melanoma is a rare intraocular cancer in Asian Indian population. There is a paucity of data from our population comparing iodine 125 (I-125) brachytherapy and enucleation. AIM This study aims to compare two groups of choroidal melanoma patients treated with either I-125 brachytherapy or enucleation in the Asian Indian population. OBJECTIVES To evaluate the lo...

Although surgery is usually the first-line treatment for nonmelanoma skin cancers, radiotherapy (RT) may be indicated in selected cases. Radiation therapy as primary therapy can result in excellent control rates, cosmetics, and quality of life. Brachytherapy is a radiation treatment modality that offers the most conformal option to patients. A new modality for skin brachytherapy is electronic b...