Remote-afterloading brachytherapy system

UMDNS GMDN
20352 Brachytherapy Systems 38300 Remote-afterloading brachytherapy system
17517 Brachytherapy Systems, Remote Afterloading

Other common names:

Curietherapy Systems; Endocurietherapy Systems; Radiotherapy Units; Remote Afterloaders; Radionuclide system,
therapeutic, brachytherapy, remote afterloading; System, applicator, radionuclide, remote-controlled

Health problem addressed

Core medical equipment - Information

These devices are most commonly used in conjunction with

external-beam radiotherapy, surgery, or chemotherapy to treat
endometrial, cervical, prostate, or pancreatic cancer; they are
also the primary treatment for soft-tissue sarcomas, vaginal
and rectal cancers, early-stage lip and tongue cancers, and
endobronchial carcinomas.

Product description
These systems are typically radioisotope delivery units (i.e.,
afterload unit) with a source-drive mechanism (usually a
computer-controlled stepper motor with drive rollers or belts),
applicators, a control console, and a computerized planning unit.

Principles of operation
Remote afterloading brachytherapy systems automatically
administer a radioisotope directly to cancerous tissue, Use and maintenance
thereby minimizing the radiation dose to surrounding tissue User(s): Radiation physicist; licensed
and eliminating the radiation exposure to hospital staff. The dosimetrist (supervised by radiation
amount of the radiation dose varies with the brachytherapy physicist); radiation oncologist
method chosen for treatment delivery: low-dose-rate (LDR) Maintenance: Medical staff; technician;
brachytherapy uses an implanted source that delivers a dose biomedical or clinical engineer
of 40 to 60 centigrays (cGy) per hour over several days; high-
dose-rate (HDR) brachytherapy uses a traveling (stepping) Training: Initial training by manufacturer and
source that delivers a dose greater than 100 cGy per minute for manuals
5 to 30 minutes; pulsed-dose-rate (PDR) brachytherapy uses a
cable-driven source delivering a dose of up to about 300 cGy Environment of use
per hour for 10 to 30 minutes, repeated over several days. Settings of use: Hospital radiation oncology
department
Operating steps Requirements: Stable power source; shielding
After the treatment parameters have been tested, the source
for treatment room and control room
drive mechanism, usually a computer-controlled stepper motor
with drive rollers or belts, advances the source from the shielded
safe through the guide tubes and into the treatment applicators. Product specifications
The source guide tubes, also called transfer tubes, ensure Approx. dimensions (mm): 1330 x 540 x 790
accurate source placement in the applicators. The indexer, which Approx. weight (kg): 92
typically provides 18 to 24 channels, facilitates source entry and
Consumables: NA
transfer for complex treatments requiring multiple applicators.
Price range (USD): 255,000 - 485,124
Reported problems Typical product life time (years): 8 to 10
Most of the problems associated with brachytherapy are side
Shelf life (consumables): NA
effects of radiation. Patients may develop localized irritation,
soft-tissue ulcerations, osteonecrosis, small-bowel perforations,
radiation mucositis, and abdominal fistulas from implanted Types and variations
radioactive sources. There have also been reports of dose High-dose-rate (HDR) brachytherapy; low-
miscalculations and improper handling of source wires and dose-rate (LDR) brachytherapy; pulsed-dose-
seeds by physicians, nurses, and medical physicists during rate (PDR) brachytherapy systems
brachytherapy treatment.

© Copyright ECRI Institute 2011 (not including the GMDN code and device name).
http://www.who.int/medical_devices/en/index.html Reproduced with Permission from ECRI Institute’s Healthcare Product Comparison System.
© Copyright GMDN Agency 2011. GMDN codes and device names are reproduced with permission from the GMDN Agency.