Ocular Plaque Brachytherapy for Uveal Melanoma and Retinoblastoma

The main topic of this chapter is brachytherapy for ocular tumor. A small dish-shaped applicator is temporarily attached outside of the eyeball where the tumor is located, and after adequate irradiation time, it is removed. Because generally eyeball moves quickly and frequently, it is difficult to irradiate intraocular tumor with external beam technique. When big dose is delivered with adequate margin to compensate the organ motion, it is difficult to preserve visual function. On the other hand, when the applicator is accurately attached to the location of the tumor, the applicator moves together with the eyeball, and it is possible to perform very conformal irradiation. Therefore, ocular plaque brachytherapy is very important for the management of ocular tumors such as uveal melanoma and retinoblastoma.