Re: Cremation of Sr-89 patients

["John Saunderson" <johnsaunderson@hotmail.com>]

An assessment of the radiological impact of cremating a corpse containing up
to 500 MBq of Sr-89 was made by the UK's National Radiological Protection
Board (http://www.nrpb.org.uk/) in the late 80's. They concluded that the
levels of dose likely to be received in practice should be no cause for
concern.

Their estimates of maximum dose to individuals were as follows

- the maximum individual dose equivalent to an adult member of the public
would be less than 0.1 micro-Sv (mostly by inhalation), with a skin dose of
less than 2 micro-Sv in conditions of moderate rain

- the maximum individual dose equivalent to a crematorium worker would be
about 0.3 micro-Sv from inhalation and about 0.4 micro-Sv from ingestion,
based on very pessimistic intake values.

- the maximum dose to a member of the public scattering ashes are unknown,
but extremely unlikely to exceed those for a crematorium worker

- the maximum dose equivalents to a child or infant who may come into
contact with the ashes shortly after being scattered was very
pessimistically estimated as 3 micro-Sv, assuming 1 mg of ash were ingested
by the infant.


Recently we have had to give advice on this very scenario when a patient
treated with 150 MBq of Sr-89 died unexpectedly from a condition unrelated
to his cancer. An autopsy was not required, and therefore we were able to
advice that cremation could proceed without any additional precautions
beyond normally good crematoria practice.


John Saunderson
Radiation Physics Department
The Princess Royal Hospital
Hull
UK

Tel. UK 01482 676690
Fax. UK 01482 702147
Email johnsaunderson@hotmail.com




----- Original Message -----
From: Karin Gordon <KGordon@exchange.hsc.mb.ca>
To: Multiple recipients of list <radsafe@romulus.ehs.uiuc.edu>
Sent: Thursday, January 27, 2000 7:37 PM
Subject: Cremation of Sr-89 patients


> A question to those folks routinely administering Sr-89 radionuclide
therapy
> for palliation of painful bony metastases (usually in prostate Ca
patients).
> The typical dose administered is about 150 MBq (4 mCi), and we anticipate
> that there will be about 75% skeletal uptake, with the remainder being
> rapidly exreted in urine within 2-3 days post administration.
>
> We are wondering - if the patient should unexpectedly die within weeks or
> months after the treatment is admininstered,  what guidelines do you
provide
> the patient and their family as well as to mortuaries and crematoria as to
a
> minimum time period between the Sr-89 Tx administration and when it is
> permissible to cremate the body?  I know this has been a concern for folks
> in the funeral industry for a while, and I'm wondering if you could share
> any guidelines that have been established by your facility or regulatory
> authority.
>
> Any help you could provide would be welcome.
>
> Karin Gordon
>
>
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> Karin Gordon RTR, RTNM, RTT
> Radiation Safety Office
> Winnipeg Health Sciences Centre
> GC-214, 820 Sherbrook Street
> Winnipeg, Manitoba
> CANADA, R3A 1R9
>
> phone   (204) 787-2903
> fax        (204) 787-1313
> e-mail    kgordon@hsc.mb.ca
>
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