Skin Brachytherapy

Brachytherapy is a special form of internal radiation therapy where a radioactive source is placed beside or inside the tumour, to deliver radiation to small areas over a period of time.

This characteristic of the treatment sets it apart from External Beam Radiation Therapy [EBRT], where radiation beams are delivered from outside the body.

Since the radioactive sources are placed close to the tumour, radiation sources with a short range of effect can be used, where there is a sharp fall-off of radiation dose within a few centimetres from the source. This significantly reduces the radiation dose that healthy surrounding organs or tissues will receive.

A steep dose gradient allows a high radiation dose to be delivered to the tumour, providing an effective method for the treatment of smaller tumours.

This treatment uses low energy X-Rays to target the cancerous site, allowing for multiple tumours to be treated simultaneously, resulting in a short, yet effective treatment procedure.

Skin Brachytherapy is suitable for those who do not wish to undergo surgery for either medical or cosmetic reasons. It also proves effective for patients who are on anticoagulants (blood-thinning medication) as it does not require a change to medication.