Women with certain types of gynecological cancer may qualify for a HDR procedure. Qualifying depends largely on the size, stage, and location of the tumor. A consultation with your radiation oncologist will be needed to help determine if you are a candidate for this procedure.

The radiation procedure takes place in a special suite at the Coborn Cancer Center. The patient will be scheduled to come to the radiation department at the Coborn Cancer Center for an imaging CT scan. After the CT scan, the radiation oncologist and physicist will need some time to plan the treatment (usually takes 1-2 days to plan). Once the plan is complete, the patient will begin coming in for treatments. The patient will come to the radiation department once a week for 3 consecutive weeks to receive the treatment. At each visit, the patient will have a cylinder placed by the radiation oncologist into the vaginal cavity and a CT scan will be needed to verify the placement. A radiation source will then be sent through a catheter, into the cylinder, to the area where the tumor is located. The source will remain inside the body for about 10-15 minutes. Once the treatment is complete for that day, the source, catheter, and cylinder are removed and the patient is free to carry on normal activities of daily life. After completion of the final treatment, the patient will be free to go home with minimal restrictions. Most patients describe the procedure as painless with the exception of some pressure felt within vaginal cavity when the cylinder is in place.