OnCo
technologiesTechnologyStandard of care

Brachytherapy

Brachytherapy places a radioactive source directly inside or next to the tumour.

Curative in cervical cancer (mandatory component), prostate (LDR seeds, HDR), and used in breast (partial-breast), skin, and eye (plaque brachytherapy for uveal melanoma).

Schematic · not to scale
Prostate · Needle template · I-125 / Pd-103 seeds · Rectum (spared)

How it works

Sealed sources (192Ir, 125I, 103Pd) deliver steep dose fall-off from within.

Strengths
  • Highest conformality
  • Short treatment
Limitations
  • Invasive
  • Declining expertise in some regions

Key papers

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rctThe Lancet 2024changed practice
KEYNOTE-A18: pembrolizumab with chemoradiotherapy for locally advanced cervical cancer

Women with locally advanced cervical cancer that is node-positive or stage III-IVA should now be offered pembrolizumab alongside and after chemoradiotherapy, which improves the chance of cure. The result matters most in countries where cervical cancer is common but immunotherapy access is poorest, so its global impact depends on pricing and health-system capacity. It does not apply to early-stage disease treated with surgery or to lower-risk locally advanced disease without nodal involvement.

Latest papers

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Literature trend993 papers in the last 12 months+5% vs prior 12How this is computed
Latest papers · live from Europe PMC
Open in Europe PMC

Query for this technology: (TITLE:"brachytherapy" OR ABSTRACT:"brachytherapy"). Results are unfiltered search hits about Brachytherapy, not a curated reading list.

Connected

56top

cancers

8
Cervical cancerEndometrial cancerMelanomaOesophageal cancerProstate cancerRetinoblastomaRhabdomyosarcomaUveal melanoma

fronts

1
Radiation Therapy

technologies

1
Intraoperative radiotherapy (IORT)

institutions

31
American Society for Radiation OncologyCancer Institute (WIA), AdyarCentre Oscar LambretDharmais National Cancer CenterEuropean Society for Radiotherapy and OncologyEuropean Society of Gynaecological OncologyGroote Schuur Hospital / University of Cape TownHacettepe University Cancer InstituteHo Chi Minh City Oncology HospitalInstitut BergoniéInstitut National d'Oncologie, RabatInstitut Salah AzaïezInstitute of Oncology LjubljanaInstituto Nacional de Cancerología (Colombia)Instituto Nacional de Cancerología (Mexico)Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades NeoplásicasInstituto Português de Oncologia do Porto Francisco GentilInternational Atomic Energy Agency – Rays of HopeIstanbul University Institute of OncologyKenyatta National HospitalKoo Foundation Sun Yat-Sen Cancer CenterKorle Bu Teaching HospitalLagos University Teaching HospitalMaria Skłodowska-Curie National Research Institute of OncologyMasaryk Memorial Cancer InstituteNational Institute of Oncology, HungaryOcean Road Cancer InstitutePostgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, ChandigarhSunnybrook Odette Cancer CentreUganda Cancer InstituteVelindre Cancer Centre

terms

2
Brachytherapy (internal radiotherapy)Radiotherapy

trials

3
INTERLACEKEYNOTE-A18 / ENGOT-cx11 / GOG-3047PORTEC-3

pairings

2
Induction chemotherapy → chemoradiation (locally advanced cervical cancer)PD-1 blockade + chemoradiation (locally advanced cervical cancer)

ideas

5
A Global Fund for cancer care in low- and middle-income countriesA translation fund for academic surgical devices and radiotherapy technologyBlended finance and a low-cost linac to close the global radiotherapy gapLow-cost cobalt-60 brachytherapy for cervical cancer in every regional centreRadiotherapy for everyone who needs it by 2040

bottlenecks

2
Most of the world has almost no cancer careSurgery and radiotherapy cure most, get least

key papers

1
KEYNOTE-A18: pembrolizumab with chemoradiotherapy for locally advanced cervical cancer