Chapter 24: Radionuclide therapy
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Definition
Brachytherapy is the term used for intracavity treatment in which radioisotope sources are placed in pre‐existing body cavities such as the uterine cavity or vagina, or for interstitial treatment in which radioisotope sources are inserted directly into the tissues using tubes or needles or inserted into a gland, such as prostate seeds (Hoskin and Coyle [28]).
Sealed source therapy is complex because of the variation in sources and delivery systems used to administer radiation treatment. The main difference between sealed source and unsealed source treatment is the absence of contaminated bodily fluids. The hazard is therefore external radioactive sources.
