There are two types of brachytherapy: intracavitary treatment and interstitial treatment.

In intracavitary treatment, containers that hold radioactive sources are put in or near the tumor. The sources are put into body cavities such as the vagina, uterus or windpipe.

In interstitial treatment the radioactive sources alone are put into the tumor. These radioactive sources may stay in the patient permanently. These patients can continue with their normal activities. Some prostate cancer patients may undergo this type of treatment. More often, the radioactive sources are removed from the patient after several days. The radioactive sources are in containers. Patients may be put under general anesthesia during insertion of brachytherapy sources. Since the sources inside the patient are radioactive, special precautions are necessary.

While the sources are in place, the patient stays in a special hospital room, away from other patients. Doctors, nurses and other medical staff will continue to take care of these patients while they are in the special hospital room.

Devices called high dose rate afterloading machines allow the radiation oncologist to complete the brachytherapy quickly when this is appropriate.

The radiation oncologist may put in and take out the radioactive sources on the same day or soon thereafter. The patient may go home shortly after the procedure.

Sometimes brachytherapy is done in conjunction with external beam therapy. The external beam radiation destroys cancerous cells in a large, area surrounding the, tumor. Brachytherapy delivers a boost, or higher dose of radiation, to help destroy the main mass of tumor cells.