title: Radiation safety consideration during intraoperative radiation therapy.
abstract: Using in-house-designed phantoms, the authors evaluated radiation exposure rates in the vicinity of a newly acquired intraoperative radiation therapy (IORT) system: Axxent Electronic Brachytherapy System. The authors also investigated the perimeter radiation levels during three different clinical intraoperative treatments (breast, floor of the mouth and bilateral neck cancer patients). Radiation surveys during treatment delivery indicated that IORT using the surface applicator and IORT using balloons inserted into patient body give rise to exposure rates of 200 mR h(-1), 30 cm from a treated area. To reduce the exposure levels, movable lead shields should be used as they reduce the exposure rates by >95%. The authors' measurements suggest that intraoperative treatment using the 50-kVp X-ray source can be administered in any regular operating room without the need for radiation shielding modification as long as the operators utilise lead aprons and/or stand behind lead shields.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Mississippi Medical Center, 350 West Woodrow Wilson Drive, Suite 1600, Jackson, MS 39213, USA mobit_paul@yahoo.ca.
authors.forename: Paul N
authors.initials: PN
authors.lastname: Mobit
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Mississippi Medical Center, 350 West Woodrow Wilson Drive, Suite 1600, Jackson, MS 39213, USA.
authors.forename: Priyadarshini
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rajaguru
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Mississippi Medical Center, 350 West Woodrow Wilson Drive, Suite 1600, Jackson, MS 39213, USA.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Brewer
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Mississippi Medical Center, 350 West Woodrow Wilson Drive, Suite 1600, Jackson, MS 39213, USA.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Baird
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Mississippi Medical Center, 350 West Woodrow Wilson Drive, Suite 1600, Jackson, MS 39213, USA.
authors.forename: Satyaseelan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Packianathan
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Mississippi Medical Center, 350 West Woodrow Wilson Drive, Suite 1600, Jackson, MS 39213, USA.
authors.forename: Claus Chunli
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Yang
mesh_terms: D001918:Brachytherapy; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D005260:Female; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D006801:Humans; D007430:Intraoperative Care; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D061214:Patient Safety; D019047:Phantoms, Imaging; D011481:Protective Clothing; D011834:Radiation Monitoring; D011835:Radiation Protection; D011879:Radiotherapy Dosage