Presbyterian Healthcare 
Cancer Treatments
Brachytherapy
| Brachytherapy is a radiation procedure that places radioactive sources, or seeds, directly in or near the tumor. |
Brachytherapy may be an appropriate treatment for people with prostate and breast cancer as well as other accessible cancers where the radiation can be delivered to the cancer cells from the inside. Brachytherapy is also performed for some gynecological cancers and head/neck cancers as well.
With brachytherapy, the radiation is delivered directly to the tumors with minimal affects to the healthy tissue around the tumor. Patients experience fewer side effects because less radiation reaches the skin, ribs, lungs, heart, and other areas of the body, compared to that which is released during traditional external beam radiation treatments.
We also offer Intra-Ocular Brachytherapy, which is a treatment for malignant melanoma of the eye. This can save the affected eye from surgical removal.
Ultrasound-guided equipment is used to place small, permanent radioactive seeds directly into or near the tumor.
Brachytherapy for prostate cancer patients greatly reduces both recovery time and the likelihood of impotence and virtually eliminates the risk of incontinence when compared to radical prostatectomy.
MammoSite is a new radiation treatment that lasts five days instead of seven weeks.
Brachytherapy for breast cancer patients can preserve breast tissue by eliminating the need for mastectomy.
