Brachytherapy in the treatment of colorectal malignancies

The administration of radiation during an operation permits safe and precis e delivery of high doses of radiation to the tumor bed while uninvolved sur rounding normal tissues are excluded or shielded. The addition of intraoper ative radiation therapy (IORT) to conventional multimodality treatment of p atients with locally advanced or recurrent colorectal cancer has resulted i n improved locoregional control rates and long-term survival. The rationale , indications, results, and complications associated with intraoperative hi gh dose rate brachytherapy (HDR-IORT) and intraoperative electron radiation therapy (IOERT) are detailed in this article.