Internal radiotherapy for nasopharyngeal cancer

Men and women discussing nasopharyngeal cancer

This page tells you about internal radiotherapy for nasopharyngeal cancer. You can find the following information

A quick guide to what's on this page
What internal radiotherapy is
Benefits of having internal radiotherapy
Types of internal radiotherapy

Internal radiotherapy for nasopharyngeal cancer

Internal radiotherapy isn't used as often as external radiotherapy for nasopharyngeal cancer. You are most likely to have internal radiotherapy if your cancer has come back after previous treatment. Internal radiotherapy (also called brachytherapy) means the radiation source is inside your body. The radiation source is a metal substance that gives off the radiation. It may be positioned within the cancer or very near to it. This way, the tumour gets a high dose of radiation, without damaging the surrounding tissue.

Types of internal radiotherapy

The radioactive sources can be placed alongside the tumour (called intracavitary radiotherapy). Or radioactive implants can be put into the cancer and surrounding tissues (called interstitial radiotherapy).

With intracavitary radiotherapy you will have a thin tube (a catheter) put into your mouth or up your nose. It has a radioactive source inside. The doctor leaves it in place for a few minutes. You will usually have up to 6 treatments, with at least two days rest in between treatments. After each treatment you can go home.

For interstitial radiotherapy you have radioactive wires, tubes or seeds put directly into your tumour. They stay in place for anything from a few minutes to a few days. Seed type implants can be left in place permanently. The amount of radiation is very small and can only travel a short distance.

If you have internal radiotherapy there are certain safety precautions that you and anyone visiting you will need to take. There is more information about these in the radiotherapy section.

CR PDF Icon You can view and print the quick guides for all the pages in the treating nasopharyngeal cancer section.

Internal radiotherapy (also called brachytherapy) means the radiation source is inside your body. The radiation source is a metal object that gives off the radiation. It may be positioned within the cancer or very near to it. This way, the tumour gets a high dose of radiation, without damaging the surrounding tissue.

Internal radiotherapy isn't used as often as external radiotherapy for nasopharyngeal cancer. You are most likely to have internal radiotherapy

If your cancer has come back after earlier treatment with external beam radiotherapy
As a booster dose at the end of a course of external radiotherapy

The benefits of using internal radiotherapy for nasopharyngeal cancers are

Nearby structures such as the brain, spinal cord and eyes don’t receive high doses of radiation
You can have high doses to tumours that can’t be treated any more with external radiation (salvage brachytherapy)

You may have radioactive implants to treat your cancer. There are two ways of doing this

Radioactive sources are placed alongside the tumour (called intracavitary radiotherapy)
Radioactive implants are put into the cancer and surrounding tissues (called interstitial radiotherapy)

Intracavitary radiotherapy

Intracavitary radiotherapy delivers a high dose of radiation as close to the cancer as possible. Intracavitary means the treatment is placed in a cavity near the tumour. To reach a tumour in the nasopharynx, you will have a thin tube (a catheter) put into your mouth or up your nose. Your doctor uses an anaesthetic spray to numb your mouth, throat or nose. This makes it more comfortable when the catheter goes in.

There is a radioactive source inside the catheter. The doctor leaves it in place for a few minutes. You usually have up to 6 treatments with at least two days rest in between treatments. After each treatment you can go home. If you have a long way to travel, your doctor may suggest you stay in during your treatment period.

Interstitial radiotherapy

If you have interstitial radiotherapy, you will have radioactive wires, tubes or seeds placed directly into your tumour. Interstitial means the treatment is given from inside the tissue. These implants are like small seeds and are made of gold or radioactive iodine. The amount of radiation is very small and can only travel a short distance. So the tumour gets a high radiation dose, with very little reaching surrounding tissues and organs. The implants can stay in place for anything from a few minutes to permanently. Wire implants are always removed.

If you have internal radiotherapy there are certain safety precautions that you and anyone visiting you will need to take. Your doctor, clinical nurse specialist, or radiographer will tell you about this. There is information about internal radiotherapy and particularly the radiation safety precautions in the main radiotherapy section.