Brachytherapy

Brachytherapy delivers radiation from inside the body, placing a tiny source (or sources) of radiation in or next to the tumor so the dose is highly focused and nearby healthy tissue is better protected. Depending on the condition, this can be a short outpatient procedure or a brief hospital stay, and many treatments take fewer visits than standard external radiation. We commonly use brachytherapy for prostate cancer (seed implants or temporary catheters), gynecologic cancers such as cervical, endometrial (uterine), and vaginal tumors, select brain and head/neck tumors, choroidal melanoma and for select early-stage breast cancers as partial breast irradiation (APBI). It can also be used for certain skin cancers or prostate cancer. Your care team will explain whether brachytherapy is appropriate for your diagnosis and what to expect before, during, and after treatment.

Why UC San Diego for Brachytherapy?

You’ll be cared for by a dedicated brachytherapy team—physicians, physicists, nurses, and anesthesia specialists—who do this every day and tailor treatment to your exact needs. We use advanced imaging for planning and delivery (MRI/CT–guided HDR; real-time ultrasound guidance; and partial breast irradiation options for select early breast cancers) so radiation is concentrated where it’s needed and healthy tissue is spared. Our comprehensive team is the sole group in the region offering complex brachytherapy and we treat patients from San Diego and beyond. Your comfort and safety come first: most procedures are outpatient or short-stay, with thoughtful pain control, sedation when appropriate, and a clear, step-by-step plan from pre-visit to recovery. We coordinate closely with your surgeons and medical oncologists so your care is seamless, and we offer access to clinical trials when available—bringing you compassionate, state-of-the-art treatment with the convenience of a single, highly specialized team.