title: Radiation exposure to caregivers from patients undergoing common radionuclide therapies: a review.
abstract: The contribution of radionuclide therapies (RNTs) to effective patient treatment is widely appreciated. The administration of high doses has necessitated investigating the potential radiation hazard to caregivers from patients undergoing RNTs. This work aimed to review the literature regarding measured effective doses to caregivers from such patients. The main selection criterion was the presence of real radiation exposure measurements. The results were categorised according to the treatment protocol and dose parameters. Analysis of the collected data demonstrated that the measured effective dose values were within the dose constraints defined by the International Commission on Radiological Protection, provided that the radiation protection instructions were followed by both patients and caregivers. In conclusion, the radiation risk for caregivers was almost negligible. In this context, treatments could be administered more often on an outpatient basis, once cost-effectiveness criteria were established and radiation protection training and procedures were appropriately applied.
authors.affiliation: Nuclear Medicine Unit, University General Hospital of Athens "Attikon," 1 Rimini St, Athens 12462, Greece apstefano@yahoo.gr.
authors.forename: A P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Stefanoyiannis
authors.affiliation: Nuclear Medicine Unit, University General Hospital of Athens "Attikon," 1 Rimini St, Athens 12462, Greece.
authors.forename: S P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Ioannidou
authors.affiliation: School of Engineering, University of Waikato, Hillcrest Road, Hamilton 3240, New Zealand.
authors.forename: W H
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Round
authors.affiliation: Department of Dosimetry, Greek Atomic Energy Commission, Ag.Paraskevi, Attiki 15310, Greece.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Carinou
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, MedStar Washington Hospital Center, 110 Irving St NW, Washington, DC 20010, USA.
authors.forename: M N
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Mavros
authors.affiliation: Nuclear Medicine Unit, University General Hospital of Athens "Attikon," 1 Rimini St, Athens 12462, Greece.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Liotsou
authors.affiliation: Nuclear Medicine Unit, University General Hospital of Athens "Attikon," 1 Rimini St, Athens 12462, Greece.
authors.forename: X
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Geronikola-Trapali
authors.affiliation: Nuclear Medicine Unit, University General Hospital of Athens "Attikon," 1 Rimini St, Athens 12462, Greece.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Armeniakos
authors.affiliation: Nuclear Medicine Unit, University General Hospital of Athens "Attikon," 1 Rimini St, Athens 12462, Greece.
authors.forename: S N
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: Chatziioannou
mesh_terms: D017028:Caregivers; D006801:Humans; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000209:etiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D000069079:Radiation Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D011832:Radiation Injuries / Q000209:etiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D011835:Radiation Protection; D012542:Scattering, Radiation