Endovascular brachytherapy: Physics and technology

✍ Scribed by Balter, Stephen

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1998
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 225 KB
• Volume: 45
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0098-6569
• DOI: 10.1002/(sici)1097-0304(199811)45:3<292::aid-ccd16>3.0.co;2-e

✦ Synopsis

Brachytherapy is the placement of radiation sources (usually radioactive materials) in or near a target tissue. This paper introduces the physics and technology needed to perform endovascular brachytherapy.

Three main delivery systems under investigation are low activity radioactive stents; high activity solid-sources; and high activity gas or liquid filled balloons. A wide range of radionuclides is under consideration for each of these systems.

There are fundamental differences in both the local and long-range distribution of radiation around beta or gamma emitting sources. Devices in the Ci range are permanently implanted. Devices in the mCi range are inserted for a few minutes. Both beta and gamma sources can be extremely dangerous if they are mishandled. Cathet.