The IAEA has developed a brachytherapy dosimetry methodology which serves as the basis for a new audit service provided by the Agency’s Dosimetry Laboratory. For millions of cancer patients around the world, particularly those in resource-constrained contexts, the results of this multicentre pilot study led by the IAEA will help ensure the safety and effectiveness of their high-dose rate brachytherapy treatments.
The new methodology was developed under an ongoing coordinated research project that brought together nearly 50 centres from 11 different countries.
High-dose rate (HDR) brachytherapy is a type of radiation therapy used to treat cervical, prostate and other cancers. It delivers radiation directly to a patient’s tumour through a miniaturized radioactive source placed inside the patient’s body. While this approach minimizes the exposure of surrounding healthy tissues to radiation, HDR brachytherapy also presents a unique treatment challenge: it delivers significantly higher doses than external beam radiotherapy. Consequently, HDR requires meticulous optimization to avoid adverse effects from under- or over-dosage. Dosimetry audits — which can help check the accuracy of radiation doses — are not only crucial to quality and safety but can also improve public confidence in this treatment option.
Despite their importance, dosimetry audits in brachytherapy are not as widely available as those in external beam radiotherapy. In response, the IAEA launched a coordinated research project (CRP E24023) in 2021 to develop a dedicated dosimetry audit methodology for HDR brachytherapy.