1 General Aspects

General Aspects 5

facilities allow more accurate definition of target volume and the localisation of adjacent normal tissue and can also be used to guide afterloading and sources devices. (2,21,35) This, together with computerised dosimetry and better knowledge of the radiobiology involved, have made brachytherapy much more accurate and safe. (4,6,18,33,36)

Fig 1.7: One of the first remote afterloading machines for gynaecological tumours : Curietron prototype (1965)

Fig 1.8: Modern Afterloading Machines (PDR/HDR). A: MicroSelectron HDR (Nucletron); B: GammaMed plus (MDS-Nordion), C: MicroSelectron PDR (Nucletron)