Table 1.

Description of steps in interstitial interventional radiotherapy (IRT/brachytherapy) planning and delivery procedure.

Interstitial Interventional Radiotherapy Planning and delivery
Step 1: Pre-planning	PET-CT or Head-and-neck MRI to exclude any gross residual tumor Pre-implant definition of the ideal number of the catheters Pre-implant definition of the ideal position of the catheters
Step 2: Implant Technique	Metallic needle insertion carefully avoiding injury Metallic needle substitution with plastic tubes Plastic tubes sewn to the skin for stability
Step 3: Treatment planning and delivery	CT definition of the actual plastic tube position for 3D treatment planning CT-based HDR IRT planning and optimization Treatment delivery