Radiation Therapy for Gynecologic Cancers

Internal Radiation Therapy

Internal radiation therapy involves placing radioactive sources in or next to the cancer. Brachytherapy is very important in the treatment of vaginal, cervical and uterine cancers. Depending upon the situation, internal treatment may be given either in conjunction with external beam radiation therapy or by itself.

• Low-dose-rate brachytherapy is delivered over the course of 48 to 72 hours. You will be admitted into the hospital to receive this treatment.
• High-dose-rate brachytherapy does not usually require you be admitted to the hospital. The entire procedure typically takes a few hours. In some simple cases, treatment can take less than an hour. Depending of the type of cancer you have, you may need to have several sessions of brachytherapy.