What is Brachytherapy?​

Brachytherapy is a type of radiotherapy treatment that involves placing radiation inside the body. This allows a high dose of radiation to be delivered to the tumour, while minimising damage to the surrounding healthy tissues. It may be used as a stand-alone treatment or sometimes in combination with external radiotherapy and chemotherapy. The radioactive source is either a permanent implant (Low Dose Rate - LDR) and the treatment delivered over a period of weeks, or a temporary implant (High Dose Rate – HDR) where the treatment lasts a few minutes. Some procedures require a general or spinal anaesthetic, while others can be given on an outpatient basis.​

Brachytherapy treatments offered at UHD:​

• LDR Prostate Brachytherapy
• HDR Prostate Brachytherapy
• HDR Cervix Brachytherapy​
• HDR Vaginal Vault (post-surgery) Brachytherapy

The Brachytherapy Team​

The team is made up of different professionals including:​

• Therapeutic Radiographers​
• Medical physicists/clinical scientists​
• Bookings officers​
• Dosimetrists​
• Consultant Clinical Oncologists

Useful Brachytherapy contacts

Please use the number below for any brachytherapy related queries​:

Brachytherapy office number – 0300 019 2047 (answerphone)​

Patient information leaflets​

Information leaflets for the different brachytherapy treatments offered at UHD can be found below. You may have already received a paper copy. Prior to your treatment, the brachytherapy radiographers will provide further information on your specific treatment.

Prostate Brachytherapy leaflets​

• Low dose rate prostate brachytherapy service
• Prostate brachytherapy service HDR (high dose rate)
• Information regarding prostate brachytherapy preparation

Gynaecological Brachytherapy leaflets

• High dose rate (HDR) brachytherapy (internal radiotherapy) to the cervix
• High dose rate (HDR) brachytherapy (internal radiotherapy) to the vaginal vault
• Vaginal dilation therapy

Preparing for your planning appointment​

You will receive a letter or phonecall from the bookings team with your appointment date and time. You will normally receive this appointment within 2 weeks of the consultant referral.​

In this appointment we will collect detailed information about the treatment area using a CT planning scanner. This scan is not the same as any previous CT scans you may have had for diagnosing your conditions. The planning scan used in conjunction with any previous diagnostic scans to help us accurately map and precisely plan your radiotherapy treatment. You will not normally get any results from this planning scan.​

Some procedures will need you to follow specific instructions prior to your first visit. You will be informed about any preparation in the letter, or over the phone. Please ensure you follow any instructions given to avoid unnecessary delays.

How long does the planning take?

Please allow 3 hours for your planning appointment although the procedure may not take all of this time. If you plan to drive to the planning appointment, please do not park on the side roads as these are limited to 2 hours free parking.

The planning appointment​

On arrival you will meet a therapeutic radiographer, apprentice or CT support worker who will explain the procedure and answer any questions. They will also reconfirm that you consent to the procedure.

During the planning appointment we will require the treatment area to be clear of jewellery and clothing. We will ask you to change into a hospital gown. We use surface guided technology therefore you will be partially uncovered for the duration of your scan. But we will do our best to cover you as soon as we can

Some patients may require an injection of contrast dye. We do this by inserting a cannula at the planning appointment. If this is required for your scan, the radiographers will discuss this with you directly prior to the procedure. The IV cannula will be removed after the scan and is not normally needed to be repeated during the treatment course.

Please be aware that we cannot use a power PICC or any type of central line to deliver contrast dye in this radiotherapy department.​

When you are called in for your planning procedure, we will introduce ourselves and reconfirm your identity. We will need to position you in a specific way that can be reproduced for each future radiotherapy treatment. We will be able to modify this position at the planning appointment if you are not able to maintain it. You will need to keep still for up to 20 minutes for your planning scan and for subsequent radiotherapy treatments.​

If you normally suffer with pain, please bring your normal pain relief to the appointment.

Specific treatment areas of the body may need bespoke equipment made such as a mask. A mask is commonly made when patients need treatment to the head, neck, brain or limbs. The purpose of the mask is to ensure that treatment can be given accurately without movement but you would be able to breathe, and most people tolerate this well. If we need to make a mask for your planning, we will explain this prior to your visit or at the planning appointment.

Pregnancy​

Radiation can cause damage to an unborn baby. Therefore, if you are 55 years old or under, we must ask you to confirm that there is no possibility of pregnancy.

Will I be radioactive following radiotherapy treatment?

You will not be radioactive following radiotherapy unless you are receiving prostate low dose brachytherapy (a specialist type internal source radiotherapy). You will be informed of the procedures to follow if you are having brachytherapy treatment.​

Patients having external beam radiotherapy (the most common type of radiotherapy) will not be radioactive, so it is safe for them to be around others, including children at any time. Patients who have brachytherapy (a particular type of radiotherapy) may be radioactive for a short time and will be informed prior to treatment if precautions are required.

It is crucial that patients are not pregnant and do not become pregnant during their radiotherapy course.​

As a teaching hospital, student therapeutic radiographers and apprentices will be present and are fully supervised by trained staff. There will be both male and female therapeutic radiographers delivering the radiotherapy.

Types of Treatment

Head of Therapeutic Radiography: David Frost

Head of Radiotherapy Physics: Jonny Lee