3 Radiation Protection in Brachytherapy

Radiation Protection in Brachytherapy

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THE GEC ESTRO HANDBOOK OF BRACHYTHERAPY | Part I: The basics of Brachytherapy Version 1 - 01/12/2014

recommendations in national regulations which in this case means that the user is obliged to take corresponding measures to secure the available source or sources. At the time of writing of this chapter, some EU states have defined these regulations

(e.g., UK, NL) while others will probably follow soon. For more details, the interested reader is referred to the cited IAEA pub- lications.

8. KEY MESSAGES

thickness is presented, including references for the data for radionuclide / shielding material combinations. Examples of different treatment room designs are shown in this chap- ter. • A quality management program should be developed for each brachytherapy department. Written procedures, clear- ly defined tasks for each member of the brachytherapy team, and an appropriate training program with frequent reevaluation and repeated practice by the team members, contribute to a safe treatment for the patient while ensuring minimized risks of radiation exposure and accidents.

• Radiation protection policies are revised dynamically by the work of several international bodies (ICRP, UNSCEAR, IAEA) leading to international consensus on sets of rules that can be integrated to national legislation. These rules are equally applicable to brachytherapy. • Structural shielding must be used when workload and dis- tance are such that acceptable levels of protection cannot be ensured. The methodology for calculating the required