Brachytherapy

• Brachytherapy Technology
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Brachytherapy Technology
Brachytherapy is implemented using the Varian VariSource HDR. This machine uses a relatively intense source of radiation (typically 10 Curie source made of Iridium 192) delivered through temporarily placed applicators.
The source is usually attached to (or embedded in) the end of a wire or cable. The wire drives catheters into applicators that have previously been placed in the patient. The source dwells in a preplanned position for a preset time before stepping along the catheter. This process repeats to create the required dose distribution. By varying the position and dwell time of the radiation source, the dose is neatly sculpted to conform to the shape of the target. The patient typically receives the total dose in a series of 2-10 treatment sessions, also known as fractions.
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• Advantages of Brachytherapy
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Advantages of Brachtherapy
Brachytherapy has several distinct advantages when compared to other forms of treatment.
• Brachytherapy frequently has a shorter treatment period than other forms of treatment.
• Brachytherapy results in fewer or more mild side effects (discomfort near application site) than other forms of treatment.
• Brachytherapy can in some cases be delivered on an outpatient basis.
• Brachytherapy allows for precision application of very high doses of radiation.
Brachytherapy can treat a wide variety of cancers, including those of the prostate, breast, esophagus, gallbladder, cervix, anus/rectum, extremities, and sarcomas.
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• Pterygium-specific Brachytherapy
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Pterygium-specific Brachytherapy
A pterygium is a thickening of conjunctiva onto the cornea on one or both sides of the eye. The growth can slowly progress until it seriously impacts vision. A pterygium can be removed by surgery, but it often grows back during the healing process. Using a brachytherapy form of radiation treatments to the affected region of the eye after surgery can prevent the membrane growths from recurring.
The procedure involves up to three treatments, all occurring within a two-week span after your surgery. The radiation is delivered only to the surface of the eye and the dose to the lens of the eye is very low. The procedure is painless. After the procedure, you'll wear an eye patch for about an hour to protect the eye from dust.
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• LDR Brachytherapy
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LDR Brachytherapy
LDR uses cesium seed implants (internal radiation) that are placed directly into or near the tumor via catheters or needles. UAB uses LDR as a treatment for prostate (interstitial), cervical (intracavitary), and eye plaque (interstitial). Though LDR is an inpatient procedure, recovery time is shorter when compared to conventional cancer surgery. Depending on where the cancer is, the seed implant may be placed for a short time or permanently.
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• HDR Brachytherapy
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HDR Brachytherapy
With HDR, a catheter or an applicator is precisely positioned in the body, and then small (3mm-long) radioactive iridium seeds are placed inside the device. These radioactive seeds are then applied for as little as just a few minutes to a half hour at most. This places radiation inside or very near the area to be treated. HDR allows radiation doses that are equivalent to those delivered via EBRT in just a few outpatient procedures. It is often done on an outpatient basis, and is appropriate for a number of treatment sites, including gynecological cancers. HDR can be the only therapy used in a patient's treatment or it can be used in conjunction with EBRT and other treatment therapies.
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• Your Radiation Therapy Visit
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Your Radiation Therapy Visit
The patient's visit begins with a consultation with a physician specialist from our team of experts who will determine if the patient's condition is suitable for radiation treatment and therapy. During the consultation, the specialist will explain in detail the therapeutic procedure and answer any questions for the patient.
Once the consultation is complete, the patient proceeds to simulation, which is the process of creating a specific road map to treat the patient's cancer. If necessary, a custom immobilization device will be designed to ensure that the patient remains still during treatment and that the radiation beam hits the precise target in the body. During the simulation, a computed tomography (CT) is performed to identify the exact size, shape, and position of the cancer target in the body. From this information, a team of specialists generates treatment delivery parameters to treat the cancer.
Next, the team of physicians, physicists, dosimetrists, and therapists develop a patient specific treatment plan that will guide the radiation delivery devices to treat the precise cancer target in the body. Each of step leads to the development of the optimal treatment plan to remove the patient's cancer.
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• Supportive Care and Survivorship Clinic
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Supportive Care and Survivorship Clinic
The Supportive Care and Survivorship Clinic takes an interdisciplinary approach to caring for patients with serious illnesses, whether they are in active treatment or have completed treatment. Our goal is to help patients fulfill their maximum physical, emotional, spiritual, vocational, and social potential.
The health professionals at the Supportive Care and Survivorship Clinic help patients manage the side effects associated with cancer. Referrals to the Supportive Care and Survivorship Clinic can be made by any treating physician or nurse or by patient self-referral. A broad range of insurance is accepted.
Patient appointment scheduling is flexible and based on patient needs and other concurrent treatments. Clinic sessions are held Wednesday and Friday mornings with palliative care physicians and fellows. A physician assistant is available Monday through Friday.
Our Team
Physicians and physician assistants have special expertise in complex symptom management including depression, anxiety, insomnia, fatigue, loss of appetite, pain syndromes, and others.
Nurses support patients by facilitating the clinic sessions as well as managing communication with patients. They are the front line of patient care.
Physical therapists develop individualized programs for each patient to help with coordination, balance, strength, endurance, flexibility, or range of motion. Counselors are experienced in structuring counseling sessions to meet the specific needs of each person. Individual, couple, and family sessions are available.
Nutritionists have expertise in nutrition for patients with serious illnesses.
Massage therapists are trained in all types of massage, including oncology massage, which is a specialized approach that supports the body's health before, during, and after treatment for cancer.
Our clinic is an active teaching environment with fellows, residents, and students in both medicine and nursing participating in patient care.
Location
The UAB Supportive Care and Survivorship Clinic is located on the 3rd floor of The Kirklin Clinic.
Patients can request an appointment online or by calling UAB Healthfinder at 205.934.9999 or 800.822.8816.
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UPCOMING CLASSES AND EVENTS

• Spirituality Group

Come explore your own spiritual, religious, or philosophical understanding of the world. For more information contact Chaplain Kelsey Blankenship - 205.801.7050 or kmblankenship@uabmc.edu

UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center - WTI 220 (Patient Education Center)