Tongue Cancer Brachytherapy
High-dose rate (HDR) tongue brachytherapy is a form internal radiation therapy that is used:
- as an organ preserving treatment in patients who refuse surgery that involve partial or total removal of the tongue
- as an option in patients who refuse surgery
- in patients who have positive margin after surgery (surgery did not clear the tumor) to improve the chance of cure
- in patients who already had previous irradiation and in need for highly focused radiation to the tongue because of disease recurrence
The HyBIRT technique :
•is a novel technique that was invented in IPPT-USM tongue cancers
•used in both definitive and postoperative adjuvant setting
•It is a combination of interstitial brachytherapy followed by intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) to achieve an optimal dose distribution for superior tumor control in the tongue and also neck while reducing the radiation related toxicity.
•In definitive setting it can be offered to patients who refused surgery, where there can be significant morbidity from surgery or if patients is not fit for radical surgery.
Head & Neck brachytherapy
•Other than tongue cancer, High-dose rate (HDR) brachytherapy can also be used for tumors of the floor of mouth, buccal mucosa and cheek.
•Brachytherapy is also beneficial in tumors that are radioresistant (tumors that do not respond well to the standard radiation techniques) such as adenoid cystic carcinomas.
•This procedure can be offered as a curative option in patients who refused surgery, not fit for surgery or patients in whom surgery may result in poor cosmetic outcome.
