Adrenal cancer treatment with brachytherapy

Often, it’s pretty much impossible to conduct surgery for patients with adrenal cancer due to the giant size of the tumor, a significant number of cancerous lesions, or other factors. In case if patient’s general condition is terrible and it’s impossible to undergo other treatment methods, doctors might consider using brachytherapy. This method is based on the properties of ionizing exposure to damage cancerous cells' DNA and leads to their degeneration. Oncologists use a tiny radioactive seed (most often numerous seeds) to implant inside or near the tumor. So, the adrenal tumor will get significant radiation dosage while surrounding tissues will remain nearly intact. As a result, the number and severity of any adverse and side effects will almost equal zero. Before the procedure, patients must undergo a list of medical examinations to confirm they are applicable for brachytherapy. Interventional radiologists reach the tumor site under ultrasound or other medical imaging control and inject radioactive seeds via a needle. The procedure takes 10-20 minutes and requires local anesthesia. Seeds can remain inside the patient’s body until the surgery is conducted or until the oncologists decide to remove them due to other indications.