Internal Radiation Therapy

At the Adventist HealthCare Centers, internal radiation therapy may be part of your treatment plan. Our cancer specialists use this precise therapy to reduce healthy tissue’s exposure to radiation and save lives every day. Count on us for support and compassion throughout your treatment journey.

What Is Internal Radiation Therapy?

Internal radiation therapy places a source of radiation inside your body to destroy or damage cancer cells. There are two primary types of internal radiation therapy:

Brachytherapy – This treatment uses tiny implants with radioactive material sealed inside. Your doctor will place the implants in or near the tumor.
Systemic therapy – This approach uses a liquid, radioactive material that travels through your blood to destroy cancer cells. You can swallow this liquid, or your doctor may inject it.

Systemic Therapy

Systemic therapy is also known as radioisotope therapy. There are few different types of systemic therapy:

Radioactive iodine therapy– Treats thyroid cancer
Radioactive radium therapy – Treats prostate cancer
Radioactive lutetium therapy – Treats neuroendocrine tumors

Brachytherapy

Before brachytherapy, your doctor will explain your procedure, discuss possible side effects, and answer any questions.

Implant Placement

You’ll receive anesthesia before a surgeon places a radioactive pellet, seed, wire or capsule. A tube called a catheter is often used to put the implant in your body. There are two placement methods:

Intracavitary radiation therapy – Puts the implant in a natural space in your body, such as the uterus, rectum, or chest cavity
Interstitial radiation – Puts the implant inside the tumor or directly next to it

Types of Brachytherapy

High-dose rate (HDR) implants – With HDR treatments, the implant is left in place for only a few minutes and then removed. You receive this treatment multiple times. This could mean a few treatments a day or one a week for several weeks. You may stay in the hospital during this process, or you might be able to stay at home and come in only for treatment.

Low-dose rate (LDR) implants – LDR treatments are left in place for up to seven days. Within a week, your doctor removes the implant from your body. You stay in the hospital throughout this treatment.

Permanent implants – Permanent implants are never removed. Right after treatment, the radiation level is high. You need to take extra precautions for a while after receiving a permanent implant. Over time, the radiation decreases to almost nothing and shouldn’t affect you or those around you.

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy

You may receive hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) after treatment. HBOT lets you breathe 100% pure oxygen that’s under high pressure. This makes treatment even more effective and helps your body repair tissue damage due to radiation.

Safety Measures

Internal radiation requires safety measures because your body may be radioactive during treatment. For everyone’s protection:

Hospital staff may limit their time near you
You may not have visitors right after treatment
Visitors need to stay a few feet away from you
Visits must be short
No pregnant women or babies can visit

After you leave the hospital, you may still need to distance yourself from others for a while. Your doctor will speak to you about safety rules.

Side Effects

Like other cancer treatments, internal radiation therapy may cause certain side effects. The side effects you experience depend on the location of your cancer and type of radiation treatment you have. Some possible side effects include: