Radiation safety consideration during intraoperative radiation therapy

Using in-house-designed phantoms, the authors evaluated radiation exposure rates in the vicinity of a newly acquired intraoperative radiation therapy (IORT) system: Axxent Electronic Brachytherapy System. The authors also investigated the perimeter radiation levels during three different clinical intraoperative treatments (breast, floor of the mouth and bilateral neck cancer patients). Radiation surveys during treatment delivery indicated that IORT using the surface applicator and IORT using balloons inserted into patient body give rise to exposure rates of 200 mR h(-1), 30 cm from a treated area. To reduce the exposure levels, movable lead shields should be used as they reduce the exposure rates by >95%. The authors' measurements suggest that intraoperative treatment using the 50-kVp X-ray source can be administered in any regular operating room without the need for radiation shielding modification as long as the operators utilise lead aprons and/or stand behind lead shields.