What to Expect During Brachytherapy for Oral Cancer

Brachytherapy is also called internal radiation. Brachytherapy usually comes from an implant placed in or near the cancerous area. The radiation material may be in flexible tubes called catheters or metal rods.

You may need to stay in the hospital for a few days while the treatment is done. And you may need to limit the time that people visit you. You may have pain and nausea as side effects. These should go away when the treatment is done.

When doctors remove the implant, your body will no longer be radioactive. In the past, doctors sometimes implanted radioactive pellets that would stay in the body permanently. This treatment is no longer popular for oral cancer.