Evaluating {sup 99m}Tc Auger electrons for targeted tumor radiotherapy by computational methods

Journal Article · Thu Jul 15 00:00:00 EDT 2010 · Medical Physics

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1118/1.3451117· OSTI ID:22096714

Tavares, Adriana Alexandre S.

Purpose: Technetium-99m ({sup 99m}Tc) has been widely used as an imaging agent but only recently has been considered for therapeutic applications. This study aims to analyze the potential use of {sup 99m}Tc Auger electrons for targeted tumor radiotherapy by evaluating the DNA damage and its probability of correct repair and by studying the cellular kinetics, following {sup 99m}Tc Auger electron irradiation in comparison to iodine-131 ({sup 131}I) beta minus particles and astatine-211 ({sup 211}At) alpha particle irradiation. Methods: Computational models were used to estimate the yield of DNA damage (fast Monte Carlo damage algorithm), the probability of correct repair (Monte Carlo excision repair algorithm), and cell kinetic effects (virtual cell radiobiology algorithm) after irradiation with the selected particles. Results: The results obtained with the algorithms used suggested that {sup 99m}Tc CKMMX (all M-shell Coster-Kroning--CK--and super-CK transitions) electrons and Auger MXY (all M-shell Auger transitions) have a therapeutic potential comparable to high linear energy transfer {sup 211}At alpha particles and higher than {sup 131}I beta minus particles. All the other {sup 99m}Tc electrons had a therapeutic potential similar to {sup 131}I beta minus particles. Conclusions: {sup 99m}Tc CKMMX electrons and Auger MXY presented a higher probability to induce apoptosis than {sup 131}I beta minus particles and a probability similar to {sup 211}At alpha particles. Based on the results here, {sup 99m}Tc CKMMX electrons and Auger MXY are useful electrons for targeted tumor radiotherapy.

• OSTI ID: 22096714
• Journal Information: Medical Physics, Vol. 37, Issue 7; Other Information: (c) 2010 American Association of Physicists in Medicine; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0094-2405
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE
60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES
ALGORITHMS
ALPHA PARTICLES
APOPTOSIS
ASTATINE 211
AUGER ELECTRON SPECTROSCOPY
BIOPHYSICS
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
DNA DAMAGES
ELECTRONS
EXCISION REPAIR
IODINE 131
IRRADIATION
KINETICS
M SHELL
MONTE CARLO METHOD
NEOPLASMS
RADIOBIOLOGY
RADIOTHERAPY
TECHNETIUM 99