Cesium capsules hit cancer harder

A shorter half-life and cesium radiation promise to make cesium-131 capsules harder on cancer and easier on the patient.

Developed by IsoRay Medical, Inc., with assistance from Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, this new FDA-approved treatment uses tiny capsules or seeds filled with a small dose of the radioactive isotope, cesium-131.

The capsules are implanted near or in the cancerous tumor, where x-rays emitted by the cesium damage the genetic material of the cancer cells, making it impossible for these cells to continue to grow and divide. With cesium-based brachytherapy (from the Greek prefix "brachy," meaning "close"), more power or dose is delivered to the tumor over a shorter time.