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Family Safe From Thyroid Cancer Patient's Radiation
Family Safe From Thyroid Cancer Patient's Radiation
NEW YORK May 3 (Reuters Health) - Thyroid cancer patients often drink
a radioactive ``cocktail'' designed to kill cancer cells that remain
after the thyroid gland has been removed. Since much of the radiation
they ingest escapes the body, the question has been whether it is
safe for family members to be near them shortly after treatment. Now
researchers report that it is safe.
The finding indicates that patients can safely go home for this phase
of treatment, a point at which many patients are feeling fatigued and
depressed, according to Dr. Perry W. Grigsby, of Washington
University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Missouri.
If patients receive the radiation treatment in the hospital, he told
Reuters Health, they have to stay in a room covered in plastic to
ensure it is not contaminated, and they cannot have visitors. ``Being
home,'' Grigsby said, ``is definitely better than being in the
hospital.''
In a study of 30 thyroid cancer patients who drank radioactive iodine
and immediately went home, family members were exposed to radiation
levels far below those considered dangerous, Grigsby and colleagues
report in the May 3rd issue of The Journal of the American Medical
Association.
Patients in the study first had their cancerous thyroid glands
removed. Located at the front of the neck, the butterfly-shaped
thyroid gland produces hormones that are key to normal growth and
metabolism. When the gland is removed, cancer patients often receive
follow-up radiation to wipe out cancer cells in any remaining thyroid
tissue. The patients drink radioactive iodine because iodine
accumulates in thyroid and delivers the cancer-killing radiation.
Much of this radiation is eventually excreted from the body via
fluids and breathing.
In 1997, the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) changed its
policy stating that patients who ingest large doses of radioactive
iodine should remain in the hospital for several days after
treatment. The current recommendation holds that they can be released
if they are not likely to expose others to more than 500 millirem of
radiation. However, Grigsby noted, the NRC based this rule on
mathematical models, and never tested it in real life. Because of
this, many doctors have patients admitted to hospital for treatment,
he added.
Grigsby's team found that the 65 family members of their patients
were exposed to an average of 24 millirem of radiation over 10 days--
about 20 times lower than the recommended limit. The highest single
exposure was 109 millirem. The researchers determined exposure by
having patients, family members, and family pets wear radiation
monitors that clipped to their clothes. The investigators also placed
the devices throughout patients' homes. On average, the 17 household
pets looked at in the study were exposed to 37 millirems of
radiation.
Although the study did not measure family members' internal doses of
radiation, Grigsby noted that previous research shows that ingested
radiation levels are far lower than external exposure levels.
SOURCE: The Journal of the American Medical Association 2000;283:2272-
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sandy Perle Tel:(714) 545-0100 / (800) 548-5100
Director, Technical Extension 2306
ICN Worldwide Dosimetry Division Fax:(714) 668-3149
ICN Biomedicals, Inc. E-Mail: sandyfl@earthlink.net
ICN Plaza, 3300 Hyland Avenue E-Mail: sperle@icnpharm.com
Costa Mesa, CA 92626
Personal Website: http://www.geocities.com/capecanaveral/1205
ICN Worldwide Dosimetry Website: http://www.dosimetry.com
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