An improved technique for interstitial radiotherapy of the tongue

An improvement of the plastic tube afterloading technique for interstitial radiotherapy of the tongue is described. This modification allows most of the work to be done outside the patient's mouth. The anchorage for the intra-oral ends of the polythene tubes is produced by transfixing then with a silk thread. This obvioates the need to form loops and simplifies afterloading. It provides a method for crossing the entire lingual end of the implant. All areas and volumes of lower jaw structures are accessible to this form of treatment. Removal of the implant, irrespective of position, is simple and rapid.