Prostate cancer brachytherapy via 125I microsources: assessment of the staff local radiation dose

Abstract

The results of measurings of the local radiation doses of the most irradiated staff bodies regions - operator finger and palm skin, as well as breast region are given. The measurings are carried out via a method of thermoluminescent dosimetry with the use of highly sensitive detectors TLD-500K (Al2O3:C). It is ascertained that even in the biggest total activity of the sources (1221 MBq) and the largest duration of work of the staff with them without using X-ray shielding gauntlets, an absorbed dose (minus dose of the natural background radiation and taking into account an energy dependence of the detector sensitivity) equals 0,18±0,01 mGray (right hand thumb — the highest radiation level) and 0,01±0,0004 mGray (external surface of the left arm palm - the lowest radiation level) that doesn't pose radiohazard even in repeated working with sources (according to radiation standards 99). The normalized values of the absorbed doses (per unit time of the operator work and the sources activity unit) are represented, that allows using the obtained data for the other operating conditions of operator.