Thyroid cancer treatment with brachytherapy

Brachytherapy is one of the radiotherapy methods used to treat thyroid cancer, in which radiation sources are injected into the tumor. The main difference between conventional radiation is that thyroid brachytherapy is a local radiation approach. Therefore, treatment is not traumatic and does not cause general side effects or burns to healthy tissues. The method is often combined with chemotherapy before surgery to reduce the tumor size and independently if it is impossible to remove the tumor for any reason. The radiation source is in tiny capsules the size of a grain of rice. One of the radioactive isotopes is placed there – radium, strontium, iodine, cesium, molybdenum, selected individually for each patient. Each isotope has a longer or shorter half-life, and the choice of isotopes depends on the duration of the required irradiation. Under the control of ultrasound or tomography, a puncture or endoscopy is performed, through which capsules are delivered to the thyroid tumor. The calculation of their quantity, nature of distribution, and dose are carried out in advance using computer technology. Patients do not need hospitalization and can lead a normal lifestyle with these "grains" inside, only observed by an oncologist and undergo periodic examination – until treatment results.