[ RadSafe ] Breast cancer - radiological implants., permanent implants for certain cancers, NORM at unexpected sites!

[parthasarathy k s]

Dear Mr. George Dowell,

I just now joined this thread .  I did not think that this will develop in to such an interesting discussion. Unfortunately I did not keep track. My apologies if there  is some repetition.

Radioactive gold seeds are used as permanent implants in treating cancer at the floor of the mouth and in such regions where a limited area/ volume of tissue has to be irradiated. I  am aware of one or two incidents during my brief  term as a research associate at the University of Virginia Medical Centre during 1981-82. In one instance, a patient who had undergone treatment with permanent implant with radioactive gold seeds was referred to pathology section after a few years to examine whether there was recurrence. The pathologist  was shell shocked  when a tiny seed "emerged" during biopsy. He has not fully read the file. When he read it after  seeing the seed, he made a frantic call to the radiation physics division thinking that  the seed may be active. It is not very unusual for physicians in other  disciplines to  be ignorant about the implications of  permanent implants. Radioactive gold  used has a half life of only a few days.

In another instance,  while surveying an area, one of my colleagues  picked up some readings on his instrument. It turned out  to be heaps of rock phosphate containing radium!

Since radiation detectors have become very sensitive, it may pick up feeble radiation from permanent implants during the early stages or from natural  radioactivity. Occasionally it may cause jitters!

Regards
K.S.Parthasarathy






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