Page 9 - ARNM-1-2

Advances in Radiotherapy &

Nuclear Medicine

REVIEW ARTICLE
Advancements and challenges in interstitial

brachytherapy using iodine-125 seeds

Liting Xiong , Yuhan Yang , Mengyuan Li, Ping Jiang*, Chunxiao Li*, and
†
†
Junjie Wang*
Department of Radiation Oncology, Peking University Third Hospital, Institute of Medical Technology,
Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, China

Abstract

Radiation therapy has been used for over a century in the treatment of tumors,
with interstitial tissue treatment using radioactive seeds playing a key role in this
approach. Iodine-125 (I-125) seeds are the most commonly used radioactive sealed
source for permanent interstitial brachytherapy. In recent decades, significant
advancements have been made in the field of interstitial radiation therapy. The
development of three-dimensional (3D)-printed personalized templates, treatment
planning systems, and robot-assisted systems have significantly improved the
accuracy of I-125 brachytherapy. This review summarizes the advances in technology,
† These authors contributed equally
to this work. radiobiology, physics, and immunology of I-125 brachytherapy. These advancements
have improved the accuracy of dose delivery and increased the effectiveness of I-125
*Corresponding authors:
Junjie Wang interstitial brachytherapy. In particular, the utilization of 3D-printed personalized
(junjiewang_edu@sina.cn) templates has allowed for customized treatment planning and more precise dose
Chunxiao Li delivery. Robot-assisted systems have also made significant contributions by
(chunxiaoli@pku.edu.cn)
Ping Jiang assisting in the precise placement of radioactive seeds during treatment. However,
(jiangping@bjmu.edu.cn) several challenges persist within the field of interstitial I-125 brachytherapy. One of
the current issues is the difficulty in accurately predicting the biological response
Citation: Xiong L, Yang Y, Li M,
et al., 2023, Advancements to radiation therapy in individual patients. Addressing this challenge represents
and challenges in interstitial an important area for further research, as it has the potential to improve treatment
brachytherapy using iodine-125 outcomes and minimize side effects. In addition, there is a need for more research into
seeds. Adv Radiother Nucl Med,
1(2): 0914 the utilization of immunotherapy in conjunction with interstitial brachytherapy, as
https://doi.org/10.36922/arnm.0914 this combination has demonstrated promise in preclinical studies. Overall, this review
Received: May 6, 2023 provides a comprehensive overview of the advances and challenges associated with
interstitial brachytherapy using I-125 seeds. These advancements offer a theoretical
Accepted: August 21, 2023
basis for achieving precise and remote medical care in brachytherapy. As technology
Published Online: October 3, 2023 continues to evolve, it is likely that interstitial brachytherapy will emerge as an even
Copyright: © 2023 Author(s). more effective treatment option for cancer patients.
This is an Open Access article
distributed under the terms of the
Creative Commons Attribution Keywords: Iodine-125; Brachytherapy; Advancements
License, permitting distribution,
and reproduction in any medium,
provided the original work is
properly cited.
1. Introduction
Publisher’s Note: AccScience
Publishing remains neutral with Interstitial brachytherapy using radioactive seeds for the treatment of tumors at a close
regard to jurisdictional claims in
published maps and institutional distance has a history spanning over a century. The term “brachytherapy,” referring
affiliations. to the direct implantation of encapsulated radioactive isotopes into tumor tissue with

Volume 1 Issue 2 (2023) 1 https://doi.org/10.36922/arnm.0914