Radiation protection in therapy with radiopharmaceuticals

Purpose: Radionuclide therapy (RNT) involves the selective delivery of radiation, emitted from radionuclides to tumors or target organs. The techniques of RNT are increasingly being used for the treatment of various tumors. The purpose of this article is to report on the current state of RNT, to clarify the issues of radiation protection associated with RNT, and to show future prospects. Results and conclusions: Medical exposure of patients has unique features; application of dose limits is not undertaken, and justification and optimization do apply but in a different way from in other exposures. The expanding use of RNT has raised concern regarding potential carcinogenic and leukemogenic effects and research on second primary cancer after RNT have been developing. RNT combined with imaging and dosimetry and featuring a theranostic approach is undergoing a significant expansion, and such dosimetry-based treatment planning leads to individualization, or personalization, which is likely to improve the effectiveness and safety of patient management in RNT.