A questionnaire was distributed nationally by e-mail. Departments were asked whether therapy doses were measured prior to administration directly (using a radionuclide calibrator) or indirectly (e.g. by volume). Further questions were asked about calibration factors and cross-calibration of the equipment. Forty-six departments responded. Forty-five departments use 131I capsules. All of these measure the activity directly prior to administration. Thirty-nine of 45 departments stated that their radionuclide calibrator underwent a regular cross-calibration. Eleven of 14 users of high-dose liquid 131I remove the vials from their shielding for measurement although concerns were expressed about this practice. There was considerable variation in the measurement of pure beta emitters, reflecting the difficulty in accurate measurement of these radionuclides. Thirty-six departments use 90Y, 32P or 89Sr. Around half measure the patient dose directly. The remainder mainly dispense by volume and perform an approximate confirmation of the activity. Seven departments regularly check their radionuclide calibrators with 90Y or 32P. Only 3 departments have a beta attachment. These results demonstrate some differences in UK practice and may provide guidance for establishing good practice. It should be considered whether the benefits of re-measuring patient doses previously calibrated by the manufacturer outweigh the operator exposure, especially for high dose therapies.
Chandler ST. Current practice for measurement of radionuclide therapy doses in the UK. Nuclear Medicine Communications. 25(4):419, April 2004.
Mr. Steve Chandler, Darlington Unit, Darlington. Tel: +44 (0)1325-743-347.
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