Brachytherapy is a form of internal radiation therapy in which the radioactive material is placed inside or near the area requiring treatment.
This process allows patients to receive a higher total dose of radiation to treat a smaller area and in a shorter time than is possible with external radiation treatment, also known as external beam therapy (EBT). Brachytherapy may be temporary or permanent. With temporary brachytherapy, the radioactive material is placed inside or near the tumor and then withdrawn. With permanent brachytherapy (also called seed implantation), radioactive seeds or pellets are placed in or near the tumor, left permanently. After several weeks or months, the radioactive level of these implants completely diminishes. Brachytherapy is used to treat cancers throughout the body, including the prostate, cervix, head and neck, ovary, breast, gallbladder, and uterus