Definition of Brachytherapy
Brachytherapy: Radiation treatment given by placing radioactive material directly in or near the target, which is often a tumor.
Brachytherapy for prostate cancer, for example, is also called interstitial radiation therapy or seed implantation. In brachytherapy for prostate cancer, radioactive seeds are implanted in the prostate. The seeds might be titanium-encased pellets containing the radioisotope iodine-125.
"Brachy-" is Greek for "short." The opposite of brachytherapy is teletherapy, treatment in which the radiation source is at a distance from the target.
Last Editorial Review: 5/23/2000
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