Definition of Brachytherapy

Our Brachytherapy Main Article provides a comprehensive look at the who, what, when and how 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.