Radiation seeds to treat recurrent cervical and endometrial cancer

This trial is testing cesium-131 brachytherapy, a form of internal radiation therapy using grain-of-rice-sized radioactive seeds implanted directly into or near where your cancer has returned in the vagina. The seeds give off radiation to kill cancer cells for a short time—most radiation is gone within a few weeks—while the seeds themselves stay in your body but become inactive quickly. Researchers hope this treatment can help patients with recurrent cervical or endometrial cancer avoid major pelvic surgery.

When cervical or endometrial cancer comes back in the vagina after previous pelvic radiation, the main treatment option has been major surgery to remove much of the pelvic organs, which carries serious risks and side effects. This trial exists to test whether this gentler radiation technique can offer an effective alternative that preserves your organs and quality of life.