4.1
Brachytherapy isotopes and sources
4.2
The previous chapters have focused on several important basic physical concepts, including the structure of atoms, nuclei, and the decay of unstable isotopes. This chapter describes a therapeutic application of these concepts, namely brachytherapy, which is a treatment delivered with radioactive sources implanted in tissue. (“brachy” is the Greek word for short, so “brachytherapy” can be thought of as “short therapy,” i.e., with a short distance from the radiation source to the tissue being treated.)