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Samarium-153 EDTMP for metastatic bone pain palliation: the impact of europium impurities
J A Kalef-Ezra1, S T Valakis1, S Pallada1
1Medical Physics Department, University of Ioannina, Ioannina 451.10, Greece.
Purpose:
To evaluate the impact on the radiation protection policies of the radiocontaminants in Samarium-153 ethylenediamine tetramethylene phosphonate ((153)Sm-EDTMP).
Methods:
The internal contamination of patients treated with (153)Sm-EDMTP for palliation of painful disseminated multiple bone metastases due to long-lived impurities was assessed by direct measurements. These measurements were coupled with dose-rate measurements close to their bodies and spectroscopic analysis of the residual activity in post-treatment radiopharmaceutical vials.
Results:
Whole-body counting carried out in six patients showed a 30-81-kBq europium -152 plus europium-154 contamination. The 0.85 mean (152)Eu- to -(154)Eu activity ratio obtained by direct counting was similar to that assessed by analysis of post-treatment residual activities in twelve radiopharmaceutical vials following radiopharmaceutical injection.
Conclusions:
The long-lived radiocontaminants in the patient's bodies and the treatment wastes require modifications of the applicable radiation protection policies.
