Evaluation of physician eye lens doses during permanent seed implant brachytherapy for prostate cancer
Date
2012
Authors
Penfold, S.
Marcu, L.
Lawson, J.
Asp, J.
Editors
Advisors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Type:
Journal article
Citation
Journal of Radiological Protection, 2012; 32(3):339-347
Statement of Responsibility
S.N. Penfold, L. Marcu, J.M. Lawson and J. Asp
Conference Name
Abstract
Treatment of low grade prostate cancer with permanent implant of radioactive seeds has become one of the most common brachytherapy procedures in use today. The implant procedure is usually performed with fluoroscopy image guidance to ensure that the seeds are deployed in the planned locations. In this situation the physician performing the transperineal implant is required to be close to the fluoroscopy unit and dose to the eye lens may be of concern. In 1991 the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) provided a recommended dose limit of 150 mSv yr1 for occupational exposures to the lens of the eye. With more long term follow-up data, this limit was revised in 2011 to 20 mSv yr1. With this revised limit in mind, we have investigated the dose to the lens of the eye received by physicians during prostate brachytherapy seed implantation. By making an approximation of annual workload, we have related the dose received to the annual background dose. Through clinical and phantom measurements with thermoluminescent dosimeters, it was found that the excess dose to the physician’s eye lens received for a conservative estimate of annual workload was never greater than 100% of the annual background dose.
School/Discipline
Dissertation Note
Provenance
Description
Access Status
Rights
© 2012 IOP Publishing Ltd