[ RadSafe ] Re: Permanent radioactive implants

[John Jacobus]

Chris,
If you are talking about the seeds used in prostate
therapy, apparently there is one system that uses
permanently implanted strands,
http://www.standardimaging.com/solutions.php?id=6
I am more familiar with plans where the seeds are
injected into the tissue individually.  Orthogonal
x-rays are taken after surgery to determing how many
seeds were injected into the tumor volume.  Under
x-ray imaging the seeds are easy to locate.

Thanks for pointing this out.  

With regard to the use of markers, ribbons are used in
intravascular brachytherapy.  They usually Ir-192
seeds.  Some ribbons have the lead markers you mention
to better visualize the placement of the ribbon in the
blood vessel under fluoroscopy, where the resolution
is poor. 

--- Chris Alston <ALSTONCJ at gunet.georgetown.edu>
wrote:

> Franz
> 
> The Pd-103 is contained within the seeds; one brand
> uses a graphite matrix, with a Pb marker in the
> center for easy location by x-ray.  The seeds
> themselves are titanium, as with many, if not most,
> metallic implants.  In this case, I don't know what
> the strands, which in turn contain the seeds, are
> made of.  But, one brand of stranded seeds for
> permanent implant uses Vicryl, which is similar to
> surgical suture material.  Eventually, it dissolves,
> and is disposed of by the body; harmlessly as far as
> anyone can tell.
> 
> Cheers
> cja
> 
> 
> >>> Franz Schönhofer <franz.schoenhofer at chello.at>
> 08/23/07 03:15PM >>> 
> However this link provokes questions. Being a
> non-native speaker I have 
> problems with the expression "stranded seeds". 70
> seeds seems to be a rather 
> large number. Of course Pd is an extremely inert
> metal, but were the seeds 
> metallic Pd?
> 
> 
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+++++++++++++++++++
"If you guard your toothbrushes and diamonds with equal zeal, you'll probably lose fewer toothbrushes and more diamonds."
- Former national security advised McGeorge Bundy
-- John
John Jacobus, MS
Certified Health Physicist
e-mail:  crispy_bird at yahoo.com


       
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