Affiliated with the radiotherapy department, the brachytherapy unit at Poitiers University Hospital has just acquired a new high-dose-rate source projector. This acquisition aims to offer personalized recourse solutions to patients with various cancers.
Brachytherapy is a highly targeted internal irradiation technique that involves placing radioactive elements directly in contact with or within vectors inside the tumor. This method allows for the delivery of a precise dose of radiation while preserving surrounding healthy tissues. The regional oncology center at the hospital offers this technique for prostate, gynecological, anal canal, skin, or ORL and genital sphere cancers.
The unit stands out as a referral center in Poitou-Charentes for gynecological cancers and in the Grand-Ouest region for prostate cancers. It relies on a multidisciplinary team comprising four doctors, three physicists, four technicians, and one nurse manager. Dr. Stéphane Guérif, head of the unit, highlights the unit's evolution since 2010, with the creation of a functional unit in 2017-2018 that has enabled mastery of real-time high-dose-rate brachytherapy, guided by modern imaging (MRI, PSMA-PET) and transperineal biopsy mapping.
The unit is particularly recognized for its innovative treatment of local recurrences of prostate cancer after the failure of an initial irradiation, having treated over 400 patients. This minimally invasive focal technique allows for a curative salvage treatment, preserving the patient's quality of life.
Thanks to the radiotherapy department's investment plan, a latest-generation HDR source projector, the Bravos, has been acquired, along with a digital Aria environment. Delivered on April 20th and put into service on April 27th, this new equipment allows for the treatment of larger tumor volumes with increased precision. The year 2027 will see the deployment of a digital infrastructure for enhanced patient pathway fluidity and safety.
