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Brachytherapy

Oncologic Therapy

Brachytherapy is a form of radiation therapy in which a sealed radioactive source is placed directly inside or next to the tissue requiring treatment, most commonly a tumor, allowing a high radiation dose to be delivered locally while sparing surrounding healthy tissue. Its name derives from the Greek brachys, meaning short-distance. The technique traces to 1901, when physicist Pierre Curie suggested to physician Henri-Alexandre Danlos that a radioactive source could be inserted directly into a tumor, and it has since become a standard treatment for cancers including those of the cervix, prostate, and breast.

Facts
Classification
Status
Standard of Care 1
Origin Year
1901 2
Brachytherapy
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FAQs

How is brachytherapy different from external beam radiation therapy?

Brachytherapy places the radiation source at the tumour instead of aiming a beam from outside the body.

In external beam radiation therapy, high-energy x-rays are directed at the tumour from outside the body. Brachytherapy instead places short-range radiation sources, such as iodine-125 or caesium-131, directly at the site of the tumour.
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Long-Form Articles

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Sources
1. Wikipedia
Wikipedia contributors, Wikimedia Foundation
2. Brachytherapy (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia Foundation
  • Wikipedia: Brachytherapy, History section
    Brachytherapy dates back to 1901 (shortly after the discovery of radioactivity by Henri Becquerel in 1896) when Pierre Curie suggested to Henri-Alexandre Danlos that a radioactive source could be inserted into a tumour.
  • Brachytherapy - Lead section
    Brachytherapy is a form of radiation therapy where a sealed radiation source is placed inside or next to the area requiring treatment.
  • Lead section
    Brachytherapy was the OR procedure with the greatest change in occurrence among hospital stays paid by Medicare and private insurance. == Radiation sources == Commonly used radiation sources (radionuclides) for brachytherapy include: == History == Brachytherapy dates back to 1901 (shortly after the discovery of radioactivity by Henri Becquerel in 1896) when Pierre Curie suggested to Henri-Alexandre Danlos that a radioactive source could be inserted into a tumour.
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brachytherapy, lead section
    Brachytherapy is a form of radiation therapy where a sealed radiation source is placed inside or next to the area requiring treatment.
  • Lead, first sentence
    Brachytherapy is a form of radiation therapy where a sealed radiation source is placed inside or next to the area requiring treatment.
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