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MEDICAL ANIMATION TRANSCRIPT: If you have certain types of cancer, your doctor may recommend brachytherapy also called internal radiation therapy. The cells in the body grow and divide as part of the normal cell cycle. The cell's nucleus controls this process. Inside each nucleus, genetic material, called DNA, contains the instructions for directing this process. Sometimes the cell's DNA becomes damaged. Normally, the DNA responds by either repairing itself or instructing the cell to die. In cancer, however, the parts of the cell's DNA that direct cell division become damaged. Damage to these sections, prevents DNA from repairing itself or instructing the cell to die. Instead the unrepaired DNA causes the cell to grow and divide uncontrollably into more damaged cells called cancer cells. A tumor forms as the cancer cells multiply and displace the normal cells. Brachytheraphy treats cancer in the following organs, the breasts, the digestive system organs, such as the esophagus, and the bile duct underneath your liver, the female reproductive system organs, such as the uterus, cervix, and vagina, the prostate gland in men, the rectum, the skin, the head and neck area, and the lungs. Brachytheraphy is a cancer treatment where radioactive material is placed near the cancer. Depending on your procedure, radioactive wires, ribbons, or pellets called seeds are placed directly into or near your cancer tumor. The radiation from the brachytheraphy kills cancer cells by inflicting overwhelming damage to their DNA. The tumor shrinks as the cells stop dividing and die. The two main types of brachytherapy are temporary and permanent. If you have temporary brachytherapy your doctor will insert a delivery device such as a bronco scope to get as close to the cancer as possible. Temporary brachytheraphy is usually a high dose source of radioactive material that will treat your cancer for several minutes. Once the treatment time is over, the radiation source will be removed. If you have permanent brachytheraphy, your doctor will implant radioactive seeds that will stay in your body and emit a low dose of continuous radiation. The seeds will get weaker over time and gradually stop emitting radiation. Brachytheraphy may be used along with external beam radiation therapy or other cancer treatments. However, the advantages of brachytheraphy over external beam radiation include a higher more targeted dose of radiation in a shorter period of time and less exposure of nearby normal tissue to radiation.
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Medical Legal Art creates medical demonstrative evidence (medical
illustrations, drawings, pictures, graphics, charts, medical animations,
anatomical models, and interactive presentations) for use during legal
proceedings, including research, demand letters, client conferences,
depositions, arbitrations, mediations, settlement conferences, mock jury
trials and for use in the courtroom. We do not provide legal or medical
advice. If you have legal questions, you should find a lawyer with whom you
can discuss your case issues. If you have medical questions, you should seek the advice of a healthcare provider.
