Distribution and tissue dose of intraperitoneally administered radioactive chromic phosphate (32P) in New Zealand white rabbits

Radiophosphorus (32P) has become the preferred radioisotope for intraperitoneal radiotherapy in the adjuvant treatment of ovarian cancer. In a study of the distribution and tissue dose of intraperitoneally administered 32P in rabbits, effective half-lives of 32P and the radiation dose absorbed by intra-abdominal tissues were determined. Results show that 32P is not uniformly distributed over the peritoneal surfaces and that many areas are minimally irradiated. It is concluded that a significant fraction of the 32P distribution is systemic and that the beta-ray dose for intra-abdominal tissues is much lower than suggested by theoretical models.