Brachytherapy is a type of internal radiation therapy in which seeds, ribbons, or capsules that contain a radiation source are placed in your body, in or near the tumor. Brachytherapy is a local treatment and treats only a specific part of your body. It is often used to treat cancers of the prostate.
There are two main types of brachytherapy for prostate cancer: high dose rate (HDR) and low dose rate (LDR) brachytherapy.
Hight dose rate (HDR) Brachytherapy involves inserting small tubes or catheters into the prostate gland, allowing to deliver a targeted high dose of radiation directly to the tumor site. The procedure is quick and efficient, with the radiation source removed after just a few minutes. This means that patients can return home the same day, minimizing the disruption to their daily lives. HDR brachytherapy is often used in combination with external beam radiation therapy. By combining these treatment modalities, we're able to maximize the effectiveness in treating prostate cancer.
Low Dose Rate (LDR) brachytherapy is another type of brachytherapy used to treat prostate cancer. LDR involves placing small radioactive seeds, typically made of iodine or palladium, directly into the prostate gland.
HDR brachytherapy is often used in combination with external beam radiation therapy, and studies have shown that it can be effective in treating prostate cancer, with a high cure rate and low rate of side effects.
There are various ways to treat prostate cancer with brachytherapy, watch our video that follows the real time localized prostate cancer radiation therapy workflow.
Automatic transversal and sagittal scanning of the prostate gland
Define target volume and identify organs at risk during prostate radiation therapy
Tools in Oncentra Prostate to outline treatment volume and organs at risk.
Calculate optimal dose distribution for prostate cancer cells using virtual needle and source positioning
Ultrasound guided needle placement based on virtual dose plan
Adapt needle positions in real-time and update target volumes for dose recalculation and evaluation
Safe, simple, intuitive high dose rate (HDR) brachytherapy for prostate cancer workflow
"The Flexitron afterloader has a very accurate and reproducible source position. The logical and intuitive design of the software gives me confidence that we will deliver the treatment the way that it was planned. The new user interface is very user-friendly and supports an efficient workflow."
Learn more about how Brachytherapy is benefiting prostate cancer patients.
Customer testimonial
Customer testimonial
Find out about our Brachytherapy solutions for other indications.
The BrachyAcademy comprises a complete peer-to-peer medical education library and includes programs such as clinical workshops and training visits to leading hospitals worldwide.
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We've created our online educational brachytherapy portal for patients and those who are supporting patients throughout their curative treatment, to provide key information and to help those affected gain an understanding of brachytherapy.
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