Brachytherapy

Brachytherapy is a method of radiation therapy in which a source of ionizing radiation is placed directly into or very close to the tumor.

The essence of the method is that radioactive sources are implanted interstitially or intracavity into the tumor localization area. Thanks to this, the maximum radiation dose is achieved at the lesion and minimal impact on surrounding healthy tissue.

Brachytherapy is widely used to treat prostate, breast, cervical, skin, and head and neck cancers. The advantage of this method is the ability to deliver a high dose of radiation directly to the tumor, which increases the effectiveness of treatment. Disadvantages include the complexity of the procedure and the need to comply with strict radiation safety measures.

Thus, brachytherapy is a promising method of radiation therapy, which is actively used in oncology to treat many tumor locations. Its correct use allows you to achieve good results while maintaining the quality of life of patients.

Brachytherapy is an x-ray therapy in which a source of x-ray radiation is placed near or directly inside the tumor. Unlike other methods of radiation therapy, brachytherapy allows radiation to be concentrated on a small area of ​​the body, which improves the accuracy of treatment and reduces the chance of damage to healthy tissue.

Brachytherapy is used to treat breast, prostate, bladder, lung, thyroid and other tumors. The method can be used alone or in combination with other treatment methods such as surgery, chemotherapy or radiation therapy.

In brachytherapy, the radiation source is placed directly in the patient's body. This may be a radioactive drug, which is then placed in a special capsule, or special needles containing radioactive substances. Capsules or needles are then inserted into or near the tumor.

The benefits of brachytherapy include high precision of treatment, the ability to control the radiation dose, and a reduction in side effects such as damage to healthy tissue and radiation exposure to surrounding tissue. However, this treatment can be expensive and requires specialized equipment and personnel.

Overall, brachytherapy is an effective treatment for many types of cancer and can be used in combination with other treatments to achieve the best results.

**Brachytherapy in oncology**

One of the treatment methods is brachytherapy. This is the name for the method of local radiation therapy, that is, a method when the radiation source is located directly on the affected organ itself. Cancerous tumors, depending on their location, will be irradiated only to the required extent and will not lead to complications on surrounding healthy organs and tissues. Radiation therapy can be either an independent technique or used in combination with surgical treatment. Radiation therapy is carried out only in cases where it is not possible to remove the tumor surgically or other methods do not help. Sometimes, upon first diagnosis, radiation therapy may be prescribed as preparation for surgery. In oncology, brachytherapy radiation is used in several ways. Depending on the diagnosis, this may be: * External beam gamma therapy, which is used in the treatment of malignant tumors and in the fight against postmastectomy syndrome. The goal of the method is to achieve maximum effectiveness of treatment with radioactive radiation not only where the tumor is located, but also in distant metastases. The biggest advantage of this technique is its ease of use. Gamma rays are directed to the diseased organ through the thickness of the surrounding healthy tissue and tumor tissue. In addition, if the patient has metastases, the dose of radiation used during radiation therapy and penetrating into neighboring organs is small

Brachytherapy is used in cases of malignant tumors when conventional treatments have failed and are not effective. The intervention is carried out in a medical institution equipped with special equipment. The technique is a radiation method for treating malignant tumors by introducing a source of ionizing radiation in close proximity to the site of tissue damage. Previously, this operation was called contact radiation therapy. Now the technique has received a different name - brachytherapy. From Latin the word brachytherapia is translated as “around therapy”.

Surprisingly, the idea of ​​​​the possibility of treating cancer without surgery, but only with “rays,” first appeared long before the radioactive element Radon was discovered. The first mention of concentrated emitters appeared in the 60s of the 19th century. But not only the radioactive element was considered, but all types of radiation - X-rays, gamma rays, and ultraviolet radiation. It was believed that the rays had a negative effect on tumor cells. Therefore, the idea was to direct them precisely to the pathological area. One of the authors of the original idea, Peter Goldie, set as his goal the treatment of cancer. To this end, the scientist, together with his colleague Ludwig Poss, conducted successful experiments to study the phenomenon of the passage of rays through a solid body. The result of long-term research was the discovery of a new type of therapy - contact irradiation of tissue around the tumor. And it was this technique that later became known as brachytherapy. This type of irradiation was abandoned due to its high technical complexity, and it was customary to use modern technologies of remote irradiation. Subsequently, the technique again attracted the attention of supporters of alternative treatment, and as a result became one of the most effective methods of treating cancer. Unfortunately, it was not possible to fully understand the mechanism of action that lies behind such successes. But one thing is certain: the use of this technique significantly increases the patient’s chances of surviving several subsequent courses of chemotherapy and reducing the spread of tumors.

The main goal of brachytherapy for oncology of tumors of the female genital organs is the destruction of tumor nodes that are outside the line of sight of the surgeon. This is a more radical and potentially more successful method that helps cure cancer. Radiation exposure is directed precisely to the site of pathology, while healthy cells remain untouched. With this technique, it is possible to obtain an optimal treatment result without the negative consequences of toxic burns of healthy tissues and at the same time make the effect as precise and dosed as possible. If we compare the brachymetry method with classical irradiation, the advantage is undeniable. Brachyradiotherapy minimizes the number of side effects. They are not too noticeable to others. And in terms of speed and accuracy of action, this method is superior to other types of treatment. During a brachytherapy session, special devices can be used. We are talking about miniature radioactive units called darkened ionization sources. These blocks have an unusual shape. Besides the typical cone, they come in many other shapes. The most common sources are: - Plate-wick. It looks like a thin wire device that resembles a candle wick; - A sponge block is a special silicone tube filled with a radiation source;

The shape of the block is selected so that it fits freely into the tumor.

Brachytherapy or interstitial radiation therapy (intracavity isotope therapy) is a relatively new and most modern method of tumor therapy in proton and neutron medicine. This is a specialized form of external beam radiation therapy.

This is a method of radiation therapy in which a radioisotope source is placed in close proximity to the tumor - on its surface or even inside the tumor itself. During brachytherapy, tumor cells are uniformly irradiated, which allows targeted treatment of the tumor without affecting surrounding healthy tissue.

Remote or radiotherapy is a method of treating tumors and some other diseases. The rays travel from a small radioactive source (radioactive isotope or radiosource) located near the surface of the body to the projection of the cancerous tumor. And then the energy of gamma quanta ionizes the particles of connective tissue, resulting in a therapeutic effect. Getting into the mediastinum of the pelvic area, it, being refracted, penetrates to the pathological focus and destroys it. For beams of rays in the human body, a rectilinear trajectory is natural, but they actively bend and shift when entering

Brachytherapy is a reliable method of treating breast cancer.

Today we will look at this method and its features. Looking ahead, we note that brachytherapy is one of the effective methods of treating patients with breast cancer. Let's figure out what it is.

***There are two types of brachytherapy: brachyhormonal therapy and high-intensity brachygraphy.*** - ***Brachihormonal method:*** With it, the radiation doses are not so large, but long-term exposure gives results that help stop the growth of the tumor and slow down its development. The introduction of radioactive drugs into the organ can reduce the level of sex hormones in the body. But now a different technology is used in the treatment of breast cancer patients - radiation hormone-, hormone-like therapy, contrasting of lesions and individual areas, as well as antiandrogen drugs. All this helps reduce the risk of relapse of the disease. Radiation hormone therapy began to be actively used at the end of the twentieth century. During this time, a huge number of successful operations using this treatment method were performed. Now he is successful