Hathal Haddad, Head of Interventional Radiotherapy Unit at University Hospital Tübingen, shared a post on LinkedIn:
“13 Days Until Brachytherapy Awareness Day 2026.
Pediatric Interventional Radiotherapy (Brachytherapy) for Rhabdomyosarcoma
Every child deserves the opportunity to grow, play, and live a healthy future. In pediatric oncology, achieving a cure is only part of the mission—we must also preserve normal growth, organ function, and long-term quality of life.
Interventional Radiotherapy (Brachytherapy) plays a unique role in the multidisciplinary management of carefully selected children with rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS). By placing the radiation source directly within or adjacent to the tumor, brachytherapy delivers a high radiation dose to the target while minimizing exposure to surrounding healthy tissues.
According to the international consensus guidelines developed by the European Paediatric Soft Tissue Sarcoma Study Group (EpSSG), brachytherapy should be considered for selected patients and delivered in experienced multidisciplinary referral centers.
Key messages:
- High precision with a steep dose fall-off
- Maximum preservation of healthy organs and growing tissues
- An integral component of multidisciplinary treatment
- Image-guided treatment planning using CT and increasingly MRI
- Personalized treatment based on tumor location and anatomy
Typical indications include:
- Bladder and prostate rhabdomyosarcoma
- Vaginal rhabdomyosarcoma
- Vulvar rhabdomyosarcoma
- Head and neck rhabdomyosarcoma (selected cases)
- Orbital rhabdomyosarcoma
- Perineal rhabdomyosarcoma
- Extremity rhabdomyosarcoma
Brachytherapy may be delivered:
- As a standalone treatment in selected patients
- In combination with conservative surgery
- As part of salvage treatment for local recurrence
The new international guidelines also emphasize:
- Careful patient selection
- Specialized multidisciplinary teams
- Advanced image-guided treatment planning
- Long-term follow-up for childhood cancer survivors
Every millimeter matters when treating a child.
Brachytherapy saves lives and helps protect the future of childhood cancer survivors.
Reference:
Raquel D’Ávila Fajardo et al.
Brachytherapy for rhabdomyosarcoma: Survey of international clinical practice and development of guidelines.
Radiotherapy & Oncology, 2024.
17 July 2026 – Brachytherapy Awareness Day.”
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