Don Lawrence and the "k-capture" revolution.
OBJECTIVE
The practice of brachytherapy was in steep decline in the mid-20th century, largely because of safety issues. This article explores the innovations that revitalized brachytherapy with special attention to the introduction of low-energy seeds for permanent implantation.


METHODS
Literature review; interviews; and the memos, records, and correspondence of Donald C. Lawrence.


RESULTS
Paul Harper first proposed the use of radionuclides that decay by k-capture in the 1950s. But it was the vision and tenacity of health physicist Donald Lawrence that led to the successful implementation of I-125 (in the 1960s) and Cs-131 (40 years later).
Aronowitz
Jesse N
JN
University of Massachusetts Medical School, Levine Cancer Center, Worcester, MA 01605, USA. aronowitz@radium-therapy.com
D001918:Brachytherapy / Q000266:history*; D002588:Cesium Radioisotopes / Q000266:history; D049673:History, 20th Century; D006801:Humans; D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes / Q000266:history; D014481:United States
D002588:Cesium Radioisotopes; D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes