Radiation Protection in Brachytherapy. Report of the SEFM Task Group on Brachytherapy.

Abstract

This document presents the report of the Brachytherapy Task Group of the Spanish Society of Medical Physics. It is dedicated to the radiation protection aspects involved in  brachytherapy. The aim of this work is to include the more relevant aspects related to radiation protection issues that appear in clinical practice, and for the current equipment in Spain.

Basically this report focuses on the typical contents associated with high dose rate brachytherapy with Ir-192 and Co-60 sources, and permanent seed implants with I-125, Pd-103 and Cs-131, which are the most current and widespread modalities. Ophthalmic brachytherapy (COMS with I-125, Ru-106, Sr-90) is also included due to its availability in a significant number of spanish hospitals.

The purpose of this report is to assist to the medical physicist community in establishing a radiation protection program for brachytherapy procedures, trying to solve some ambiguities in the application of legal requirements and recommendations in clinical practice.