Editing Radiation therapy (section)

===Brachytherapy (sealed source radiotherapy)===
{{Main|Brachytherapy}}
[[File:1 applicator.jpg|thumb|A SAVI brachytherapy device]]

Brachytherapy is delivered by placing radiation source(s) inside or next to the area requiring treatment. Brachytherapy is commonly used as an effective treatment for cervical,<ref name="GEC-ESTRO-Cervix">
{{Cite book | vauthors = Gerbaulet A |veditors=Gerbaulet A, Pötter R, Mazeron J, Limbergen EV | year = 2005 | title = The GEC ESTRO handbook of brachytherapy | chapter = Cervix carcinoma | publisher = ACCO | location = Belgium | display-authors =  etal }}</ref> prostate,<ref name="GEC-ESTRO-Prostate">
{{Cite book | vauthors = Ash D |veditors=Gerbaulet A, Pötter R, Mazeron J, Limbergen EV | year = 2005 | title = The GEC ESTRO handbook of brachytherapy | chapter = Prostate cancer | publisher = ACCO | location = Belgium | display-authors =  etal }}</ref> breast,<ref name="GEC-ESTRO-Breast">
{{Cite book | vauthors = Van Limbergen E |veditors=Gerbaulet A, Pötter R, Mazeron J, Limbergen EV | year = 2005 | title = The GEC ESTRO handbook of brachytherapy | chapter = Breast cancer | publisher = ACCO | location = Belgium | display-authors =  etal }}</ref> and skin cancer<ref name="GEC-ESTRO-Skin">
{{Cite book | vauthors = Van Limbergen E |veditors=Gerbaulet A, Pötter R, Mazeron J, Limbergen EV | year = 2005 | title = The GEC ESTRO handbook of brachytherapy | chapter = Skin cancer | publisher = ACCO | location = Belgium | display-authors =  etal }}</ref> and can also be used to treat tumors in many other body sites.<ref name="GEC-ESTRO-General">
{{Cite book | vauthors = Gerbaulet A |veditors=Gerbaulet A, Pötter R, Mazeron J, Limbergen EV | year = 2005 | title = The GEC ESTRO handbook of brachytherapy | chapter = General aspects | publisher = ACCO | location = Belgium | display-authors =  etal }}</ref>

In brachytherapy, radiation sources are precisely placed directly at the site of the cancerous tumor. This means that the irradiation only affects a very localized area – exposure to radiation of healthy tissues further away from the sources is reduced. These characteristics of brachytherapy provide advantages over external beam radiation therapy – the tumor can be treated with very high doses of localized radiation, whilst reducing the probability of unnecessary damage to surrounding healthy tissues.<ref name="GEC-ESTRO-General" /><ref name="Stewart 2007">{{Cite book | vauthors = Stewart AJ | veditors = Devlin P | year = 2007 | title = Brachytherapy. Applications and Techniques | chapter = Radiobiological concepts for brachytherapy | publisher = LWW | location = Philadelphia | display-authors =  etal }}</ref> A course of brachytherapy can often be completed in less time than other radiation therapy techniques. This can help reduce the chance of surviving cancer cells dividing and growing in the intervals between each radiation therapy dose.<ref name="Stewart 2007" />

As one example of the localized nature of breast brachytherapy, the SAVI device delivers the radiation dose through multiple catheters, each of which can be individually controlled. This approach decreases the exposure of healthy tissue and resulting side effects, compared both to external beam radiation therapy and older methods of breast brachytherapy.<ref name="pmid19744892">{{cite journal | vauthors = Yashar CM, Blair S, Wallace A, Scanderbeg D | title = Initial clinical experience with the Strut-Adjusted Volume Implant brachytherapy applicator for accelerated partial breast irradiation | journal = Brachytherapy | volume = 8 | issue = 4 | pages = 367–372 | date = 2009 | pmid = 19744892 | doi = 10.1016/j.brachy.2009.03.190 }}</ref>