Additive manufacturing (3D printing) in superficial brachytherapy

Area of Science:

• Medical Physics
• Oncology
• Materials Science

Background:

• Superficial brachytherapy (BT) is a radiation therapy technique used for treating localized cancers.
• Traditional fabrication methods for BT applicators can be time-consuming and may lack customization.
• Additive manufacturing (AM), or 3D printing, offers potential for creating patient-specific medical devices.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the current applications and advancements of AM in superficial brachytherapy.
• To synthesize findings from existing literature on 3D printing in superficial BT.
• To identify trends and future directions for AM in this specialized area of radiation oncology.

Main Methods:

• A comprehensive literature search was conducted across multiple databases.
• Publications related to additive manufacturing and superficial brachytherapy were identified and screened.
• Twenty-eight core publications were selected for analysis, categorized by study type.

Main Results:

• The selected publications covered clinical cases, physical and dosimetric evaluations, proof-of-concept studies, design assessments, and economic feasibility.
• All reviewed studies indicated successful implementation of AM in superficial BT.
• AM demonstrated advantages over conventional applicator fabrication techniques in various aspects.

Conclusions:

• Additive manufacturing is increasingly being adopted in superficial brachytherapy, with a notable rise in publications over the past five years.
• AM offers potential benefits in terms of efficiency and consistency in applicator fabrication.
• More extensive evidence is required to fully quantify the benefits and clinical impact of AM in superficial brachytherapy.