What is breast brachytherapy?
Breast brachytherapy is a form of internal radiation therapy. It is a very useful treatment for treating a malignant tumor that has not spread to other areas or organs, as only the affected area or organ is irradiated. The patient hardly perceives the irradiation, since it is performed under local anesthesia or sedation and, after the application, the patient will not feel any pain.
It is a therapy that can be combined with other treatments depending on the stage of the tumor, the hormone receptors and many other factors that will be assessed on an individual basis. Hence, brachytherapy is sometimes applied alone, with external brachytherapy or with chemotherapy.
Why is it performed?
Breast brachytherapy has two main indications:
- When the tumor is larger than 2 or 3 centimeters and a high dose of radiation is needed at the tumor site. The advantage of breast brachytherapy is that it allows only the area of the tumor to be irradiated, without affecting the costal wall or the heart.
- It is recommended when the tumors are small and it is not necessary to irradiate the whole breast, so that part of the breast is irradiated without having to punish healthy tissues.
What does it consist of?
In the breast brachytherapy procedure, catheters are placed in the patient through which the radiation will be introduced. In this way the specific dose will go directly to the area of the tumor focus, so that it does not radiate into other tissues or give rise to side effects.
Preparation for breast brachytherapy
Breast brachytherapy treatment is combined with a lumpectomy, or partial breast surgery, to remove the tumor. Subsequently, breast brachytherapy will be applied, combined or not with other treatments, depending on the patient’s personal situation.
Aftercare after the procedure
Breast brachytherapy is a good therapy for breast cancer. In fact, it is estimated that 95% of breast cancers treated with brachytherapy have been cured. However, it is important that the patient attends annual check-ups, which consist of a mammogram or MRI of the breast.