Silpion

Silpion t1_it7dkp4 wrote

Reply to comment by hopelesscaribou in Engineers at Duke University have developed a novel delivery system for cancer treatment involving a radioactive implant demonstrating its potential against one of the disease’s most troublesome forms: pancreatic cancer. by chrisdh79

Medical physicist here. That class of treatments, called brachytherapy, is still alive and well. It has common applications in gynecological, breast, prostate, and eye cancers, and uncommon uses in several other sites. I work on delivering some of those treatments myself.

A challenge with pancreas is implanting the sources into the pancreas without causing catastrophic mechanical damage, since the pancreas is so sensitive. It sounds like they developed a new encapsulation that the pancreas doesn't mind as much.

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