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Transection of Radioactive Seeds in Breast Specimens
Michael Z Gilcrease1, Basak E Dogan, Dalliah M Black
1Departments of *Pathology †Breast Imaging ‡Breast Surgery §Environment Health and Safety, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX.
Radioactive seed localization for breast lesions is safe, but seeds can be accidentally cut during pathology. This report details two such incidents and offers prevention strategies.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Radiology
- Pathology
Background:
- Radioactive seed localization (RSL) is an emerging technique for breast lesion localization, offering advantages over wire-based methods.
- RSL is generally considered safe for patients and healthcare professionals.
Observation:
- Despite theoretical risks, transection of titanium-encapsulated seeds during pathology specimen processing is considered rare.
- Two recent cases documented inadvertent radioactive seed transection during gross examination of breast specimens.
Findings:
- The study details two instances where radioactive seeds were cut during the grossing of breast specimens.
- These events highlight a potential, albeit low-probability, risk associated with RSL in a pathology setting.
Implications:
- Recommendations are provided to minimize radioactive exposure and prevent contamination of laboratory equipment.
- These findings are crucial for refining safety protocols in pathology labs handling RSL specimens.
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