A software application to estimate exposure around 131I cancer and hyperthyroid patients

Area of Science:

• Medical Physics
• Nuclear Medicine
• Radiation Safety

Background:

• Patients undergoing hyperthyroidism or thyroid cancer therapy receive 131I-sodium iodide (NaI).
• Accurate estimation of radiation exposure from these patients is crucial for healthcare professionals and the public.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a user-friendly Windows-based software application, IDOSE, for estimating time-dependent radiation exposure around patients treated with 131I-NaI.
• To assess the predictability of IDOSE against direct radiation measurements.

Main Methods:

• Development of the IDOSE software based on pharmacokinetic principles relating dose, distance, projection, and time.
• Validation of IDOSE by comparing its predictions with survey meter measurements from 74 patients treated with 131I-NaI.
• Data collection included measurements at patient surface, 30 cm, and 100 cm, from 0.25 to 56 hours post-administration.

Main Results:

• IDOSE demonstrated high predictability, with correlation coefficients (r) greater than 0.9 and paired t-test values greater than 0.39 between predicted and measured values across all surveyed distances.
• The software effectively estimates radiation exposure based on patient-specific or literature-generated data, projecting exposure over time.

Conclusions:

• The IDOSE software provides a versatile and user-friendly tool for estimating radiation exposure from 131I-NaI patients.
• IDOSE is valuable for predicting radiation exposure when direct surveys are impractical, enhancing radiation safety protocols.