Overview: Five decades of brachytherapy
Brachytherapy started in 1930. Ra-226 was the radioisotope for cancer therapy at that time and much has been learned about its properties since then. One of the major findings at that time was output. When the author started, there was no T factor. People did not know how many R units were produced by 1.0 mg of radium filtered by 0.5 mm of platinum at 1.0 cm. So one was in a bit of chaos from that point of view. Eventually, that was settled in the 1930's. It was very exciting to find out that, although the national laboratories of the U.S., England, France and Germany had had values of this T factor varying from about five to seven (when they're only supposed to have less than 1% error); the value was really 8.3 and it was quite a landmark. This led to an improved knowledge of dose and effects. Developments over the next five decades are discussed in detail.
- Research Organization:
- Emeritus Consultant, Churchill Hospital, Oxford
- OSTI ID:
- 6708281
- Journal Information:
- Nucl. Sci. Appl.; (United States), Vol. 2:3
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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CALIFORNIUM 252
THERAPEUTIC USES
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NEUTRON THERAPY
HISTORICAL ASPECTS
RADIUM 226
OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY
PLATINUM
RADIATION HAZARDS
RADON
RESEARCH PROGRAMS
ACTINIDE ISOTOPES
ACTINIDE NUCLEI
ALKALINE EARTH ISOTOPES
ALPHA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
CALIFORNIUM ISOTOPES
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EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI
FLUIDS
GASES
HAZARDS
HEALTH HAZARDS
HEAVY NUCLEI
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MEDICINE
METALS
NONMETALS
NUCLEAR MEDICINE
NUCLEI
PLATINUM METALS
RADIOISOTOPES
RADIOLOGY
RADIOTHERAPY
RADIUM ISOTOPES
RARE GASES
SAFETY
THERAPY
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
USES
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
550603* - Medicine- External Radiation in Therapy- (1980-)
550604 - Medicine- Unsealed Radionuclides in Therapy- (1980-)