Stereotactic Interstitial Iodine-125 Brachytherapy for Treatment of Brain Tumors

Management, treatment, and survival of patients with some of brain tumors as glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) and brain metastasis have been remained the greatest clinical challenges despite recent advances in neurosurgery, radiation, and chemotherapy. Stereotactic interstitial brachytherapy (IBT) using iodine-125 seeds (I-125) can deliver high doses of radiation to a tumor with only low doses irradiating surrounding tissues. It has a rich history in the treatment of central nervous system tumors since the first treatment being carried out by Hirsch et al. in 1912, and iodine-125 was first used for stereotactic iodine-125 brachytherapy, in 1984 by Gutin and colleagues.