Low Dose Rate (LDR) radiation therapy is a form of brachytherapy. Brachytherapy is an internal radiotherapy cancer treatment approach that attacks malignant tumors by placing a radioactive source within (intracavitary) or very near (interstitial) cancerous tissue. The purpose of using brachytherapy is to deliver a concentrated dose of radiation more precisely to the tumor than can External Beam Radiotherapy (EBRT) treatments.

LDR uses seed implants (internal radiation) that are placed directly into or near the tumor. UAB uses LDR as a treatment for prostate (interstitial), cervical (intracavitary), sarcoma (interstitial), and eye plaque (interstitial).

Though LDR is an inpatient procedure, recovery time is shorter when compared to conventional cancer surgery. Depending on where the cancer is, the seed implant may be placed for a short-term or permanently.

For more information, please view the following websites:

• Cancer Net at http://www.cancer.net/portal/site/patient
• National Cancer Institute (NCI) at http://www.cancer.gov/
• American Cancer Society at http://www.cancer.org/docroot/home/index.asp