Radiation Exposure from Patients During ¹⁷⁷Lu-DOTATATE Infusions

The quantification of radiation exposure to medical staff and the public during the infusion of radiotherapies is vital to the development of safe workplace practices and the release of patients after the procedure. Methods: We report the measured radiation exposures on contact with the patient along the anterior abdomen, at the armrest on the noninfusion side (approximately 0.2 m from the patient), and at 1 m from the patient over the course of 10 infusions of 7.4 GBq (200 mCi) of ¹⁷⁷Lu-DOTATATE. Results: The mean exposure rates on contact and at 1 m were 12.2 ± 4.9 and 1.6 ± 1.0 mrem/h, respectively. The mean cumulative radiation exposures at patient contact and at the armrest were 133.8 ± 19.3 and 39.4 ± 10.1 mrem, respectively. Conclusion: Our results show the exposures throughout the course of treatment are well below the Nuclear Regulatory Commission release criteria of 500 mrem. Thus, patients pose little risk in terms of radiation safety to staff and the public during and after their infusions.