Application of 3D printing in cervical cancer brachytherapy

Brachytherapy is a treatment method for placing radioaction sources directly at or near the tumor, which can deliver high dose to tumor target while sparing normal tissues. Due to the special anatomical of cervix, brachytherapy is widely used in the cervical cancer treatment. Besides, researchers are paying much attention to how to achieve accurate radiotherapy. Personalized radiotherapy products can be designed for each patient by using 3D printing technology. Combination of 3D printing technology and brachytherapy can improve accuracy of radiotherapy. The application of 3D printing in cervical cancer brachytherapy mainly includes: 1) Constructing cervical cancer model to perform preoperative planning and display tumor shape as well as anatomic relationship between tumor and surrounding tissues; 2) Manufacturing personalized guidance template to optimize needles positions and target dose distributions; 3) Designing individualized applicator to fit patient anatomy and achieve accuracy dose distribution. In this review, the authors summarize the application of 3D printing in cervical cancer brachytherapy and the challenges in developing practical system are discussed.