[The role of interstitial brachytherapy in multimodality management of solid tumors]

Although being used for several decades, interstitial brachytherapy remains a modern radiotherapeutic method. Over the time, it has been highly improved, including the latest technologies. Its broad use has been facilitaed by the use of high dose rate (HDR) afterloadings. The method is fast and fairly inexpensive. Its prons include, in particular, a possibility to apply a dose, in addition to external radiotherapy, directly into the tumor region or its focus, which may improve treatment success rates in patients with localized tumors. The commonest diagnoses, where interstitial brachytherapy is employed, include the following: breast carcinomas, soft tissue sarcomas, head and neck tumors, gynaecological tumors, penile and anal tumors and prostate tumors. In the article, the authors aimed to highlight potential and benefits of intersitital brachytherapy in individaual diagnoses. Only multidisciplinary management of these patients may improve their prognosis or quality of life.