Buried emanation: the development of seeds for permanent implantation

Purpose: To chronicle the development of radioactive sources for permanent implantation. Methods and Materials: Review of contemporary literature. Results: The value of ionizing radiation in the treatment of malignancy was appreciated soon after Roentgenʹs and Becquerelʹs discoveries. Brachytherapy was developed to treat tumors that were poorly controlled by early X-ray equipment. Sources and techniques for permanent implantation were devised in the first quarter of the 20th century. Conclusions: Long before the creation of artificial isotopes, pioneering physicists and clinicians fashioned seeds from naturally occurring radionuclides and ingenuity.