The source-skin distance measuring bridge: A method to avoid radiation teleangiectasia in the skin after interstitial therapy for breast cancer

Journal Article · Tue May 01 00:00:00 EDT 1990 · International Journal of Radiation Oncology, Biology and Physics; (USA)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/0360-3016(90)90464-U· OSTI ID:6715871

Van Limbergen, E; Briot, E; Drijkoningen, M ^[1]

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1. University Hospital St. Rafal, Leuven (Belgium)

Inappropriate positioning of interstitial iridium 192 implants, used as booster dose in the breast conserving treatment of mammary cancer, may cause disturbing teleangiectasia of the breast skin, when high radiation doses are delivered on the dermal blood vessels. Based on the localization of the vascular plexuses in human breast skin, and on the dose distribution around different types of interstitial implants, a method is described to avoid overlap between the high dose area of the implant and the blood vessels in the skin. The latter are demonstrated to run within the first 5 mm under the epiderm. For source lengths varying from 5 to 8 cm, simple mathematical relations exist between the maximal security margin (MSM) and intersource distance (E) for single plane implants (MSM = 0.4 (E + 1)), double plane square implants (MSM = 0.4 E) and double plane triangular implants (MSM = 0.4 (E - 1)). We developed a device to measure precisely the distance between the radioactive wires and the overlying skin, along the whole source trajectory. Using this method, the occurrence of teleangiectasia in the breast skin after interstitial implants with Ir 192 may be significantly reduced.

• OSTI ID: 6715871
• Journal Information: International Journal of Radiation Oncology, Biology and Physics; (USA), Vol. 18:5; ISSN 0360-3016
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
MAMMARY GLANDS
NEOPLASMS
RADIOTHERAPY
SIDE EFFECTS
TELANGIECTASIS
RADIOINDUCTION
IRIDIUM 192
MAN
RADIATION DOSE DISTRIBUTIONS
RADIATION INJURIES
RADIATION SOURCE IMPLANTS
SKIN
ANIMALS
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-PLUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
BIOLOGICAL RADIATION EFFECTS
BODY
DAYS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
DISEASES
ELECTRON CAPTURE RADIOISOTOPES
GLANDS
HEAVY NUCLEI
IMPLANTS
INJURIES
INTERNAL CONVERSION RADIOISOTOPES
IRIDIUM ISOTOPES
ISOMERIC TRANSITION
ISOTOPES
MAMMALS
MEDICINE
NUCLEAR MEDICINE
NUCLEI
ORGANS
PRIMATES
RADIATION EFFECTS
RADIATION SOURCES
RADIOISOTOPES
RADIOLOGY
SKIN DISEASES
THERAPY
VASCULAR DISEASES
VERTEBRATES
550603* - Medicine- External Radiation in Therapy- (1980-)
560151 - Radiation Effects on Animals- Man