M Health Fairview is the first health system in Minnesota to achieve a four-year accreditation from the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO).
Overview
Brachytherapy is a form of radiation therapy in which small radioactive implants are placed inside your body to fight your cancer. Placing the therapy inside your body enables your physician to use higher doses of radiation than with conventional external beam radiation therapy. Brachytherapy can help to relieve pain or other symptoms caused by a tumor. Radioisotopes used in brachytherapy implants are in the form of seeds, ribbons, or wires. They usually are delivered with a needle or hollow catheter and can stay in your body for minutes, days, or even permanently, depending on your particular condition.
We are proud to be recognized as a GammaTile® Center of Excellence, offering patients advanced, targeted radiation therapy for brain tumors. This designation reflects our commitment to innovation, quality, and compassionate care through state-of-the-art brachytherapy treatments.
Our approach
Our physicians are skilled in the delivery of advanced technology, such as brachytherapy, for the treatment of several conditions, including prostate, uterine, and cervical cancers. Brachytherapy delivers therapeutic radiation to tumors on a temporary or permanent basis while sparing surrounding tissue.
We offer several types of internal radiation:
- High-dose rate brachytherapy often can be delivered either in an outpatient basis during sessions lasting a few minutes, or over a few days which involves hospitalization.
- Interstitial brachytherapy involves placing radiation implants in or near your tumor.
- Intracavity brachytherapy involves placing the radiation source inside a body cavity, such as your vagina or uterus.
- Plaque therapy involves temporarily sewing the radiation source next to the tumor in the eye.
In some cases, your physician may recommend permanent brachytherapy in which radioactive material is placed in your body and not removed. This is commonly referred to as prostate seed implants. The radiation diminishes over time.
Our oncologists and radiologists work closely with a multidisciplinary team to provide you with a precise treatment plan especially for your condition, resulting in a better outcome for you. This team may include radiation oncologists, radiologists, medical oncologists, pathologists, gynecologists, urologists, dermatologists, nurses, and many others.
Our team works closely with Masonic Cancer Center researchers at the university to find new and better ways to prevent, diagnose, and treat cancer. Here, scientists and physicians work together to bring laboratory results to patients, combining world class research with exceptional clinical care. Ask your physician about participating in one of our clinical trials.