Brachytherapy is high-precision contact method in the treatment of malignant diseases

Brachytherapy in the treatment of prostate cancer is contact radiation therapy with temporal or constant installation of radioactive micro source directly into the prostate gland. When applying brachytherapy, the therapeutic dose required to treat the patient is clearly calculated using modern medical technologies. At present, brachytherapy is successfully carried out not only for low tumor stage in the treatment of prostate gland, but, using a combination with a short course of distant radiation therapy, locally advanced prostate cancer can be treated.

Low-power brachytherapy is performed using domestic microsources I (Iodine) – 125, which essentially simplifies and cheapens the procedure, high-power brachytherapy is carried out on modern device for contact radiation therapy “Gamma Med”. In patients with recurrent prostate cancer after radical radiation treatments, as well as after non-radical prostatectomy, salvage high-power brachytherapy using Ir (Iridium) – 192 microsources is carried out.

In oncogynecology intraluminal brachytherapy is used when the special endostates are introduced into the organ cavities, through which radioactive sources are delivered that directly affect the tumor tissue. The therapeutic dose, required to cure a gynecologic cancer is clearly calculated with the help of modern medical technologies in brachytherapy. There are the following indications for brachytherapy in oncogynecology taking into consideration the spread of the process and disease stage in the absence of acute inflammatory process, decompensated, patient’s terminal health status:  cervical cancer, cancer of the uterine corpus, vaginal cancer. Different, according to their physical and technical parameters radiation sources (radium-226, iridium-192, cesium-137, iodine-125, molybdenum-99, strontium-89, cobalt-60 and others) are used for brachytherapy sessions. Modern brachytherapy devices make it possible to deliver the maximum doses of radiation to the tumor nidus and minimize the impact on adjacent organs that fall into the irradiation zone. Brachytherapy can be used as a component of complex and combined radiotherapy programs.

Brachytherapy includes:

1. Pre-irradiation preparation – Computed Tomography and creation of virtual model of the pelvic organs and the dimentions of the tumor focus;
2. Planning treatment parameters, with respect to the location of the tumor focus and adjacent healthy organs and tissues;
3. Regional anesthesia prior to brachytherapy;
4. Provision of the quality of treatment in the use of the brachytherapy technique is guaranteed by personalized approach to the treatment of the patient and co-operative work of highly qualified experts: an oncourologist/radiologist, an oncourologist/radiologist, a topometrist, a medical physicist and procedural nurse.

Rehabilitation period

Rehabilitation after radiation therapy of oncogynecological diseases is a long process. To avoid complications following radiation it is required to keep to the rules:

• refuse bad health habits;
• often fresh air and exercise;
• physical rest;
• sexual abstinence (for the time set by the doctor);
• avoidance from physiotherapeutic intervention (treatment procedures, sun-tan, baths attendance).

Dynamic observation is carried out every 3 months for 1 year, then once in 6 months.

To solve the question of the possibility of brachytherapy, the patient needs to receive a consultation with the radiotherapist in the polyclinics of our Centre.

After the consultation it is necessary to have a medical check or additional check-up, followed by council of surgeons, radiotherapists and chemotherapists whereon the method of antitumor treatment, including the brachytherapy technique will be selected.

Primary consultation will be free if the patient has a referral in the form 057/u. More details can be found here. In the absence of the necessary studies, the doctor may prescribe to undergo additional examinations, which are carried out at the place of residence.

The decision to undergo chemotherapy in the branches of the NMRRC is made by the patient selection committee.

The documents required for in-person consultation in the center.

• compulsory medical insurance policy
• passport
• hospital release report describing the surgery performed
• cytological preparations
• histological preparations  (slides, paraffin blocks)
• results of recent examinations, MRI scan