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Brachytherapy Awareness Day 2025: Honouring the Power of Precision in Cancer Care
Brussels, 17 July 2025 – Today marks Brachytherapy Awareness Day, a global initiative to spotlight a cancer treatment that is saving lives with precision: brachytherapy. This advanced form of internal radiation delivers high doses directly to tumours, minimising damage to surrounding healthy tissue and reducing side effects.
“Until a month ago, I had never heard of brachytherapy. Now, I’m grateful for the hope and the results it brings to patients.”
— Patient group representative
On this day, the GEC-ESTRO community and its global partners aim to:
• Educate patients and healthcare professionals about this highly targeted treatment option.
• Support continued research and innovation in precision radiation therapy.
• Empower patients to explore all evidence-based treatment pathways.
What Is Brachytherapy?
Also known as internal radiotherapy, brachytherapy involves placing a radiation source inside or next to the tumour. This allows radiation to be delivered with millimetre-level precision, significantly sparing healthy organs.
Often used alone or in combination with other treatments, brachytherapy is valued for:
• Its ability to shorten treatment time.
• Organ preservation, both in function and appearance.
• Proven effectiveness across multiple cancer types: It plays a key role in treating cancers of the prostate, cervix, breast, skin, and head and neck.
How Brachytherapy Improves Cancer Outcomes
🟠 Cervical Cancer: Excellent local tumour control and overall survival
The addition of brachytherapy is recommended for all patients receiving combined external radiotherapy and chemotherapy, according to international clinical guidelines (1, 2). Results from the EMBRACE-II study, presented in May (3), showed that for 93% of these patients, the tumour in cervix was cured, and 87% were still alive three years after treatment.
🟠 Prostate Cancer: Enhanced Long-Term Control
Recent studies show that adding a brachytherapy boost to external beam radiation therapy improves local control up to 98% (4).
Furthermore, this combination significantly reduced the risk of dying from prostate cancer, cutting it by half (5).
🟠 Breast Cancer: Breast Cancer: A Safe and Breast-Preserving Option
• Early-stage breast cancer:
Brachytherapy is increasingly used to safely deliver a complete course of treatment in just 2–5 days — compared to several weeks with external beam radiation — with fewer side effects and excellent tumour control (6, 7).
• Recurrence after prior radiotherapy:
For women experiencing a recurrence, brachytherapy allows a second, localised course of treatment, preserving the breast without compromising survival:
• 5-year survival rates were similar for mastectomy (88%) and brachytherapy-based breast conservation (87%)
• 97% of women treated with brachytherapy were able to preserve their breast a second time (8).
🟠 Skin & Head and Neck Cancers: Preserving Form and Function
In delicate areas such as the lips, eyelids, nasal vestibule, or eyes (uveal melanomas), brachytherapy offers tumour control while preserving appearance and function — reducing the need for extensive surgery and offering excellent aesthetic outcomes (9, 10, 11).
“It is my wish that every cancer patient knows about brachytherapy and discusses with their doctor whether it could be an option. Ideally, brachytherapy enables a tumour-free life with no or only acceptable side effects.”
— Prof Frank-André Siebert, Chair of GEC-ESTRO
A Global Call for Precision, Personalised Cancer Care
Brachytherapy Awareness Day is supported by leading organisations worldwide: the American Brachytherapy Society (ABS), the Canadian Brachytherapy Group (CBG), the Australian Brachytherapy Group (ABG), the Indian Brachytherapy Society and GEC-ESTRO. Together, we call for:
• Broader access to high-quality, evidence-based brachytherapy
• Continued innovation to refine and expand this life-saving technique
• Greater awareness among patients, clinicians, and policymakers
Help Spread the Word
Too many patients are unaware that precision options like brachytherapy exist to treat cancer. Help us raise awareness — share trusted information, speak to your healthcare providers, and join the global movement.
About GEC-ESTRO
The Groupe Européen de Curiethérapie (GEC-ESTRO) is a specialist group within the European Society for Radiotherapy and Oncology (ESTRO). It brings together leading brachytherapy experts to advance research, education, and best clinical practice.
ESTRO is a leading organisation promoting education, science, and access to radiotherapy for better cancer care. With nearly 10,000 members worldwide, it supports professionals in radiation oncology and beyond.
References
1. Cibula D, Raspollini MR, Planchamp F, et al. ESGO/ESTRO/ESP Guidelines for the management of patients with cervical cancer - Update 2023. International journal of gynecological cancer : official journal of the International Gynecological Cancer Society. 2023;33(5):649-66.
2. Pötter R, et al. MRI-guided adaptive brachytherapy in locally advanced cervical cancer (EMBRACE-I): a multicentre prospective cohort study Lancet Oncol. 2021;22(4):538-547.
3. Richard Pötter, Kari Tanderup, Maximilian Paul Schmid, Stefan Ecker, Petra Kroon, Jacob Lindegaard, Kjersti Bruheim, Barbara Segedin, Alina Sturdza, Henrike Westerveld, Supriya Chopra, Fleur Huang, Margit Valgma, Laura Velema, Astrid de Leeuw, Max Peter, Marianne Sanggaard Assenholt, Nicole Eder-Nesvacil, Johannes Knoth, Monica Serban, Sofia Spampinato, Kathrin Kirchheiner, Remi Nout, Ina Jürgenliemk-Schulz, Christian Kirisits - EMBRACE II - a multicenter prospective interventional cohort study on IGRT-IMRT+cisplatin+MR-IGABT in locally advanced cervix cancer: overall results. Abtract 2638. Clinical: Gynaecology | proffered paper radiotherapy oncology 2025;206(Supplement):1S837-S840.
https://www.thegreenjournal.com/article/S0167-8140(25)01194-6/abstract
4. Schweizer C, et al. Prostate brachytherapy boost: Long-term results of protocol-based treatment of patients with non-metastatic prostate cancer. J Contemp Brachytherapy. 2024 Dec;16(6):391-397.
5. Tang T, et al. Does brachytherapy boost improve survival outcomes in Gleason Grade Group 5 patients treated with external beam radiotherapy and androgen deprivation therapy? A systematic review and meta-analysis. Clin Transl Radiat Oncol. 2022 Oct 29;38:21-27.
6. Strnad V, et al. 5-year results of accelerated partial breast irradiation using sole interstitial multicatheter brachytherapy versus whole-breast irradiation with boost after breast-conserving surgery for low-risk invasive and in-situ carcinoma of the female breast: a randomised, phase 3, non-inferiority trial. Lancet. 2016, 387. 229-238.
7. Strnad V, et al. Accelerated partial breast irradiation using sole interstitial multicatheter brachytherapy compared with whole-breast irradiation with boost for early breast cancer: 10-year results of a GEC-ESTRO randomised, phase 3, non-inferiority trial. Groupe Européen de Curiethérapie and European Society for Radiotherapy and Oncology. Lancet Oncol. 2023 Mar;24(3):262-272.
8. Hannoun-Levi JM, et al. Salvage Mastectomy Versus Second Conservative Treatment for Second Ipsilateral Breast Tumor Event: A Propensity Score-Matched Cohort Analysis of the GEC-ESTRO Breast Cancer Working Group Database Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 2021;110(2):452-461.
9. Guinot JL et al. GEC-ESTRO recommendations for head & neck cancer brachytherapy (interventional radiotherapy): 2nd update with focus on HDR and PDR. Radiother Oncol. 2024 Dec;201:110533.
10. Bussu F et al. Interventional radiotherapy (brachytherapy) for re-irradiation of recurrent head and neck malignancies: oncologic outcomes and morbidity. Acta Otorhinolaryngol Ital. 2024 May;44(Suppl. 1):S28-S36 9. Budrukkar A et al. Clin Oncol Function Preservation in Head and Neck Cancers. Clin Oncol (R Coll Radiol). 2023 Aug;35(8):497-506.
11. Budrukkar A et al. Clin Oncol Function Preservation in Head and Neck Cancers. Clin Oncol (R Coll Radiol). 2023 Aug;35(8):497-506.