Some experiences with treating thyroid cancer patients

U.S. NRC Regulatory Guide 8.39 provides for the release of patients treated with 131I provided that predetermined calculations indicate that no member of the public will receive a total dose equivalent in excess of 5 mSv (500 mrem). When this condition cannot be met or there are other reasons for keeping the patient hospitalized after treatment, control of contamination and exposure from the patient must be taken into consideration. If the patients are hospitalized following treatment, decontaminating the patient's room after discharge and controlling the exposure potential from the patient are considerations for the hospital radiation safety staff. This paper reviews the experiences from fifty patients treated as inpatients over the past two years.