Our radiation oncology team at Piedmont utilizes high dose rate (HDR) brachytherapy radiation for the treatment of gynecologic malignancies including endometrial, cervical, and vaginal cancers. HDR brachytherapy radiation allows for the delivery of very high, tumor killing doses of radiation while sparing normal organs as the radiation is delivered over a very short distance. Additional benefits of HDR brachytherapy radiation include very short treatment times and patient specific treatment plans as the dose can be manually modulated based on the individual patient’s anatomy.
HDR brachytherapy can be used in conjunction with external beam radiation therapy or as a lone treatment modality depending on the cancer type. HDR brachytherapy radiation can be delivered as an intracavitary treatment via placement of a vaginal cylinder or tandem and ovoid. This treatment can also be delivered by direct tumor implantation with interstitial needles. All HDR brachytherapy radiation treatments are delivered with image guidance while maintaining optimal patient comfort.
We are happy to offer HDR brachytherapy radiation as part of our gynecologic radiation oncology program and we look forward to discussing your treatment options with you!