Dosimetry of a thyroid uptake detected in seed migration survey following a patient's iodine-125 prostate implant and in vitro measurements of intentional seed leakages.

As a quality control procedure, a post-implant seed migration survey has been accomplished on 340 prostate cancer patients since November 2001. Pulmonary seed embolization and intracardiac seed embolization have been detected. A case of thyroid uptake due to leaking iodine-125 (I-125) sources was also seized.

Thyroid uptake of 125iodine after prostate permanent brachytherapy.

Purpose: To decrease the seed migration rate after 125I prostate brachytherapy and improve the quality of implants to our knowledge we report for the first time the detection of thyroid uptake, possibly from a damaged seed, in a patient after 125I implantation.

Materials And Methods: Seed migration detection is routinely offered to our patients at the post-evaluation visit. A seed migration detector and comprehensive investigation procedure have been developed for the task.

In vivo detection of an 125I seed located in the intracardiac region after prostate permanent brachytherapy.

Purpose: The purpose of this investigation is to determine the mechanism of seed migration after prostate implant and to develop procedures to minimize the risk of seed migration.

Methods And Materials: Radioactivity survey of prostate cancer patients after permanent brachytherapy with (125)I to detect pulmonary seed embolization is routinely performed using a seed migration detector. The seed migration detector is made from a low-energy, high-sensitivity scintillation survey meter by adding a single-hole collimation cap to the scintillation probe.

Accurate and efficient detection of pulmonary seed embolization in prostate iodine-125 permanent brachytherapy with a collimated gamma scintillation survey meter.

Pulmonary seed embolization is frequently observed in permanent prostate brachytherapy. Postoperative chest radiographic examination does not always detect seed embolization. To overcome this deficiency, a low energy gamma scintillation survey meter was converted to a seed-migration detector by adding a cone-shaped single-hole collimation cap to the window end of the scintillation probe.