Interventional oncology: Should interventional radiotherapy (brachytherapy) be integrated into modern treatment procedures?

OBJECTIVE The delivery of a very high dose by radiotherapy to a dedicated target with minimal surrounding normal tissue dose is a challenging situation. From a radiotherapy point of view, in several anatomic situations, the most optimal method is the use of interventional radiotherapy (brachytherapy; IRT) alone or in combination with other established interventional tumor cell eliminating methods. METHODS First, Interventional Radiotherapy, Interventional Radiology, Interventional Endoscopy and Interventional Chemotherapy have the same aim of eliminating tumor tissue. Second, target definition and some IRT application techniques need multidisciplinary teamwork. RESULTS Multidisciplinary teams have the best potential to offer the best possible cure in localized solid tumors or in selected oligometastatic disease. Examples for this kind of service are given for H&N-, anal-, vaginal-, breast-, prostate cancers as well as in oligometastatic disease. The combined use of interventional tumor ablation techniques is demonstrated. CONCLUSION Interventional Oncology has the potential to improve the treatment results in localized solid cancers or in selected oligometastatic disease, and large workload Interventional Oncology Centers could have an important role in the patient service, in the education as well as in the clinical research.