Brachytherapy is an advanced radiation therapy for mesothelioma. It involves surgically placing a radioactive implant into the tumor or nearby body cavity. With this technology, brachytherapy can precisely target tumors and avoid damaging surrounding healthy tissues. 

How Does Brachytherapy Compare to Traditional Radiation Therapy?

Brachytherapy uses a radioactive implant placed inside a tumor or nearby body cavity with the guidance of imaging technology. This implant releases photons and delivers them directly to the tumor, minimizing the dose of radiation delivered to surrounding organs. 

In contrast, traditional radiation therapy (two-dimensional photon therapy) uses x-rays to deliver the same dose of photons to the tumor and the tissues beyond. This difference in tissue targeting generally makes brachytherapy safer and more effective than traditional radiation therapy.¹

How Can I Receive Brachytherapy?

Brachytherapy is an advanced radiation treatment option for mesothelioma. Not every interventional radiologist has the experience and qualifications needed to perform this technique. Seeking treatment at a specialty treatment center is one of the best ways to obtain treatment with brachytherapy, performed by an interventional radiologist with expertise in this technique and other advanced radiation treatments for mesothelioma.²