Brachytherapy Research and Clinical Trials

The multidisciplinary brachytherapy team at UVA leads research aimed at improving quality and patient outcomes for brachytherapy. Many of our patients choose to participate in clinical trials for brachytherapy.

Currently open trials that may appeal to patients who receive brachytherapy include:

• A Prospective Single-Arm Phase II Study to Investigate the Efficacy of Single-Fraction Intraoperative Radiation Treatment Using a Multi-Lumen Balloon Applicator and In-Room CT Imaging For The Treatment of Early-Stage Breast Cancer
• Evaluation of Circulating Tumor Cells for Patients with Cervical, Vaginal, Vulvar and Endometrial Cancers who Receive Radiation Therapy
• A Randomized Phase III Trial of Two Standard Dose Fractinonation Regimens for Adjuvant Vaginal Brachytherapy in Early Stage Endometrial Cancer
• Phase III Merck sponsored Study of ChemoRT +/- Pembro for Locally Advanced Cervical Cancer
• A Randomized, Non-Inferiority Study of a Hydrogel Packing System Compared to Standard of Care Packing During Image-Guided High-Dose Rate Brachytherapy Boost for Cervical Cancer
• Prospective trial of combination EBRT and MRI-guided, dose-differentiated HDR prostate brachytherapy boost for unfavorable-intermediate, high, and very high-risk prostate cancer
• A phase I/II trial of Focal Salvage High-dose-rate Brachytherapy for Locally Recurrent Prostate Cancer in Patients Treated with Prior Radiotherapy

 

Additional clinical trials are being prepared for 2020 and beyond, in our efforts to increase cure rates and decrease the adverse effects of treatment!

Our faculty members have co-authored over 40 research publications in brachytherapy since 2012. Some highlighted publications are shown below. For a full list, please click here.

Selected Publications:

The vaginal cylinder: Misunderstood, misused, or trivial? An in-depth dosimetric and multiinstutional outcome investigation.

The American Brachytherapy Society consensus statement on intraoperative radiation therapy.

Implementation of an HDR brachytherapy-based breast IORT program: Initial experiences.

Utility of CT imaging in a novel form of high-dose rate intaoperative breast radiation therapy.

Integration of MRI target delineation into rapid workflow cervical cancer brachytherapy: Impact on clinical outcomes.

Prostate cancer high dose-rate brachytherapy: review of evidence and current perspectives.

The evolution of brachytherapy for prostate cancer.

ACR Appropriateness Criteria® Locally Advanced, High-Risk Prostate Cancer.

ACR Appropriateness Criteria: Permanent source brachytherapy for prostate cancer.

A Novel Form of Breast Intraoperative Radiation Therapy with CT-Guided High-Dose-Rate Brachytherapy: Results of a Prospective Phase 1 Clinical Trial.

Parallelized patient-specific quality assurance for high-dose-rate image-guided brachytherapy in an integrated computed tomography-on-rails brachytherapy suite.

Image-guided brachytherapy in cervical cancer: past, present and future.

Implementing MRI-based target delineation for cervical cancer treatment within a rapid work-flow environment for image-guided brachytherapy: A practical approach for centers without in-room MRI.

Accelerated partial breast irradiation with brachytherapy: patient selection and technique considerations.

Intraoperative breast radiation therapy with image guidance: Findings from CT images obtained in a prospective trial of intraoperative high-dose-rate brachytherapy with CT on rails.

CT-on-rails-guided HDR brachytherapy: single-room, rapid-workflow treatment delivery with integrated image guidance.