What is LDR brachytherapy?
LDR brachytherapy is a type of radiation therapy that involves placing a small, medically calibrated radioactive pellet or seed that releases radiation directly into a tumor.
For prostate cancer, a number of small radioactive seeds are placed into the prostate gland and each seed gradually releases radiation before diminishing. Most patients undergoing LDR brachytherapy need a hospital admission to place the seeds, but return home the next day while the treatment continues. While the seeds remain radioactive across the first few weeks, patients are not radioactive and don’t need to take any special precautions.
Some breast cancers can also be treated with LDR brachytherapy and there are other cancers that can be treated – your oncologist will discuss options around LDR brachytherapy at your first consultation. At GenesisCare we are committed to using the latest evidence and guidelines to manage cancer therapy. Rest assured, all treatment strategies are based in the latest evidence and science to ensure patient safety and good outcomes.
Advantages
What are the advantages of LDR brachytherapy?
The tumor itself receives a high dose of radiation while the surrounding healthy tissue receives a much lower dose. That means less damage to normal tissue and fewer side effects compared to some other treatments. LDR brachytherapy may be applied after surgery to help prevent recurrence of cancer.
Our experienced radiation therapy teams work together to provide precision brachytherapy and expert care that’s focused on you. Our convenient treatment locations mean you can access world-class cancer care close to home, so you can focus on your life, while we focus on treating your cancer.
Side effects of brachytherapy are specific to the area being treated, so your radiation oncologist will be able to tell you more about what you can expect from your treatment.
