TH‐SAM‐BRB‐01: HDR and LDR Brachytherapy: Everything You Need to Know

The development of Brachytherapy began about 1899 following the purification of radium by Pierre and Marie Curie and has been developing rapidly and continually since. The focus of this presentation will be on the most common current utilizations and aspects that present new and controversial issues: brachytherapy applications in breast, prostate, intra‐operative lung and for macular degeneration; electronic brachytherapy, error management and reduction; and some quality management issues. The discussion will consider how the physical nature of brachytherapy enhances and limits the treatments. A list of resources will be provided covering the basics and history of Brachytherapy.Learning Objectives:1. Compare and contrast the advantages of LDR vs. HDR in the treatment of prostate cancer2. Compare electronic brachytherapy to traditional brachytherapy3. Review the more recent brachytherapy options for the treatment of breast cancer4. Introduce brachytherapy for intra‐operative lung and macular degeneration5. Review management of errors and reporting in brachytherapy and how to perform a root cause analysis6. Review guidelines for quality assurance