Indigenous (125)I brachytherapy source for the management of intraocular melanomas in India

Episcleral plaque brachytherapy using (125)I seed is a viable option for the management of intraocular cancer with minimal invasiveness and surgical complications. This article describes the fabrication of (125)I seeds and initial experience on their use for the management of intraocular choroidal melanomas. The process of (125)I seed fabrication includes immobilization of (125)I into palladium-coated silver wires, its encapsulation in titanium capsules using Nd: YAG laser and quality control to assure safety. Plaque preparation consists of the assignment of seeds to slots on the plaque to achieve a desired dose rate distribution. The clinical study reported here includes the retrospective review of 9 eyes of 9 patients who underwent ophthalmic brachytherapy between May 2008 and June 2011. The average apical diameter before brachytherapy was 7.6 mm and the average largest basal diameter was 12.1 mm, which reduced to 3.3 and 7.2 mm, respectively, after the procedure at an average follow-up of 24 months. Patients in our studies experienced good local tumor control. The results of this study represent a significant step forward in the management of intraocular tumors in India.