Low dose rate brachytherapy in the treatment of cervical carcinoma

The use of brachytherapy is a critical component in the successful treatment of cervical carcinoma with radiation therapy. Low dose rate intracavitary brachytherapy allows optimization of the therapeutic ratio by using physical and radiobiological principles. An optimal geometric relationship between the intracavitary applicators, the tumor, and other pelvic tissues is critically important in maximizing tumor control rates while simultaneously minimizing normal tissue complication rates. Treatment policies that have judiciously combined external beam radiation therapy and low dose rate intracavitary brachytherapy have achieved very high tumor control rates while maintaining acceptable complication rates.