<p>Brachytherapy means giving radiotherapy from the inside of the body. Although, until recently, the technique has not been used routinely to treat breast cancer, new applications of brachytherapy which can deliver high dose radiotherapy after lumpectomy surgery for early stage breast cancer are being tested around the world, particularly in the US where a surge of interest in this procedure has seen 4,000 cases treated in the past two years. As this article reports, new forms of brachytherapy can offer patients safe treatment, good cosmetic results, and keep cancer from returning.</p>