Professional
Technical
In the Industry Vocabulary Test
brachytherapy
Pronunciation: BRAK-ee-ther-uh-pee
Internal radiation therapy where radioactive sources are placed directly inside or next to the tumor.
Full Definition
A form of radiation therapy in which sealed radioactive sources are placed inside or immediately adjacent to the area requiring treatment. This allows for high radiation doses to be delivered to localized areas while minimizing exposure to surrounding healthy tissue. Common applications include prostate, gynecological, and breast cancers.
Usage
Usage note: Often hyphenated incorrectly as 'brachy-therapy' in lay publications.
In Context
- "The patient was scheduled for high-dose-rate brachytherapy following external beam treatment." — Treatment plan documentation
- "Brachytherapy offers superior dose distribution compared to external approaches for this tumor location." — Clinical assessment report
Also known as
internal radiation therapy
sealed source radiotherapy
Contrasted with
external beam radiation therapy
teletherapy
Don't confuse with
radiotherapy
chemotherapy