Teletherapy

(Teletherapy is also known as Cobalt Treatment):

External Radiotherapy is named Teletherapy and internal is named Brachytherapy.

• Teletherapy is also known as Cobalt Treatment. This is the most frequently used in cancer treatment in El Salvador. It is applied with external radiation at a specific distance from the body. In our Institute we use Cobalt 6, which has a radioactive source that emits high energy Gamma rays.

Treatment is applied daily for 4 to 7 weeks with the purpose of aiming at the affected area with a uniform dose and protecting healthy organs and tissues.

For non-external lesions, higher energy doses are used to ensure fewer early or posterior complications.

Brachytherapy

This treatment uses encapsulated radioactive energy placed under the tissues, either in contact (superficial Brachytherapy) or in interior cavities (interstitial Brachytherapy)

Brachytherapy differs from Teletherapy in the fact that the radiation is applied around/directly to the lesion and less in the surrounding healthy tissue.

Brachytherapy is applied in lower volumes and used exclusively or complementary to Radiotherapy and becomes an essential therapeutic alternative.