Brachytherapy

Excerpt

Brachytherapy (BT) is a radiotherapy technique where radioactive devices are inserted near tumors to safely deliver high doses of radiation to eliminate and shrink tumors. Brachy- means short distance in Greek. It was first used in 1901 by Alexandre Danlos and Paul Bloch, who received a radioactive sample from Marie Sklodowska Curie and her husband, Pierre. Danlos and Bloch were attempting to treat lupus. In 1903, Margareth A. Cleaves first used brachytherapy to treat cervical cancer. Since these initial brachytherapy procedures, this technique has changed the treatment approach for breast, cervical, and prostate cancer. Brachytherapy is different from other forms of radiation therapy because it allows for administering higher doses of radiation, minimizing insult to surrounding organs.