Treating Cancer From the Inside Out

Abstract

In this article, we will talk about a special treatment that doctors can use to help people who have cancer. This kind of treatment is called brachytherapy. Brachytherapy uses little pieces of materials that give off radiation to treat cancer from the inside out. We will explore what radiation is, what it means when something is radioactive, and why radiation can be used for cancer treatment. We will discuss different types of brachytherapy, because sometimes doctors use small, implanted capsules and sometimes they use a special robot. Toward the end of the article, we will see how this treatment can be used for different kinds of cancers.