Brachytherapy is one of the advanced types of radiation therapy used to treat cancer. It is also known as internal radiation therapy as it involves placing radioactive material inside the body.
The procedure allows doctors to deliver higher doses of radiation in a more localized and precise manner as compared to external beam radiation. In addition, brachytherapy may have fewer side effects than external beam radiation and treatment may be shorter.
Brachytherapy may be offered alone or in conjunction with other treatment options. It is sometimes utilized in the case where some cancer cells are left behind after surgery.
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