Radiation safety parameters following prostate brachytherapy.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the degree and variability of radiation exposure to the general public from patients after I-125 or Pd-103 prostate brachytherapy.


METHODS
Radiation exposure measurements were made from 38 consecutive, unselected patients with stage T1 or T2 prostatic carcinoma who had transperineal I-125 or Pd-103 implants at the University of Washington in 1998.


RESULTS
The exposure rate at the anterior skin surface following a I-125 implant ranged from 2.2 to 8.9 mrem/hour (average: 5.0). The exposure rate at the anterior skin surface from a Pd-103 implant ranged from 0.5 to 4.9 mrem/hour (average: 1.7). Based on the current Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) regulations the time required to reach the annual limit at the anterior skin surface would be 20 hours for I-125 and 59 hours for Pd-103. For exposure at the lateral skin surface, the times would exceed 500 hours for either isotope.


CONCLUSIONS
This data suggest that patients need not be concerned about being a radiation risk to the general public following their procedure.
Smathers
S
S
Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Washington, Seattle, USA.
Wallner
K
K
Korssjoen
T
T
Bergsagel
C
C
Hudson
R H
RH
Sutlief
S
S
Blasko
J
J
D001918:Brachytherapy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D006801:Humans; D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes / Q000009:adverse effects; D008297:Male; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D010165:Palladium / Q000009:adverse effects; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D011851:Radioactivity; D011868:Radioisotopes / Q000009:adverse effects
D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes; D011868:Radioisotopes; D010165:Palladium