Purpose: Brachytherapy (BT) has been used for many years for disease control in tumours of the head and neck area (H&N). It is currently performed with high dose rate (HDR) or pulsed dose rate (PDR), but its use has been reduced due to the implementation of new non-invasive external beam radiotherapy techniques such as intensity modulation (IMRT) and volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) and the improvement of surgical techniques.
Methods: The Spanish Brachytherapy Group (GEB) has carried out a survey to find out the number of centres in Spain that continue to use BT in H&N and its indications and expectations for the future.
Results: The results were presented at the XX GEB Consensus Meeting held on October 21, 2022, in Valencia (Spain) and it was confirmed that, although there are fewer and fewer centres that use BT in H&N, there are still units with extensive experience in this technique that should be positioned as referral centres.
Conclusion: It is necessary to carry out continuous work with other specialities involved, such as H&N surgeons, and other radiation oncologists, to improve the training of residents, both oncologists and medical physicists.
Keywords: Brachytherapy; Carcinomas; Head and neck; High dose rate.
© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Federación de Sociedades Españolas de Oncología (FESEO).