50 patients have been treated successfully within the past 20 months under our new Brachytherapy Program
Modernization of equipment and implementation of ultrasound, CT, and MRI guidance enabled the expansion of our indications for brachytherapy. We applied superficial, intracavitary, interstitial, and combined procedures to over 50 patients over the past 20 months. We treated the majority of our patients for gynaecological cancer, followed by penile, skin, and head & neck tumors.
The physical properties of an Iridium-192 source, combined with a good procedure technique offer many advantages of brachytherapy over other treatments for properly selected patients. With brachytherapy, we can increase the dose to the tumor, while sparing the surrounding tissues. In this way, we increase the chance of cure while keeping the risk of side effects low.
MRI and CT images for various indications treated in the last 20 months. Black or white lines, dots and cylinders show the brachytherapy channels into which a radioactive source is introduced. Color coding visualizes the radiation dose, from high dose (red) to low dose (blue). This shows the main advantage of brachytherapy: the tumor is irradiated with a high dose, while the surrounding tissue receives only a low dose. This distinguishes brachytherapy with a high cure rate and an acceptable side effect rate.
