Advancements in brachytherapy☆
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Section snippets
Physical and radiobiological effects
Brachytherapy, also known as internal radiotherapy, is the delivery of radiotherapy with the use of sealed radioactive sources. Brachytherapy can be applied as mono-therapy or in combination with external beam radiotherapy (EBRT), surgery, and/or chemotherapy. Brachytherapy requires implantation of catheters and advances the radioactive source(s) into the patient through intracavitary, intraluminal or interstitial (needles) applicators. Brachytherapy sources can be permanently implanted or the
Advancements in planning and delivery technology — conventional and novel techniques
The integration of advanced volumetric (3D) imaging in brachytherapy has been a major progress in brachytherapy during the last decades. With focal irradiation, it has been logical to invest in improved precision of target definition and identification of organs at risk, as this defines the success to cover the disease appropriately and avoid high exposure of organs at risk. Investments in multimodality imaging and imaging with applicator in place, has played a major role [48] supported by
Future outlook
Future developments in brachytherapy will happen on multiple frontiers. This section focus on 7 items of importance for improved clinical outcome and improved utilization of brachytherapy.
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Further exploitation of individualized and risk adaptive treatment.
Response adaptive therapy was first applied in cervix cancer, but other sites with significant tumor response during treatment (radiotherapy, chemotherapy and other therapeutic strategies) have much potential for development of similar response
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This review is part of the Advanced Drug Delivery Reviews theme issue on “Radiotherapy for Cancer: Present and Future”.