Because brachytherapy involves radioactive materials, there are safety rules to follow when visiting a patient that has undergone the procedure. In brachytherapy, radioactive seeds are implanted in a patient's body to kill cancer tumors or reduce tissue scaring following certain surgeries. The seeds are left in the body for varying amounts of time--from just hours to a few days or weeks. Sometimes, the seeds are permanently implanted and the radioactivity decays over time. The radiation emitted from a patient that has had brachytherapy can be a health hazard to visitors.
Safety Concerns
Brachytherapy seeds emit a low level of radiation that doesn't travel far. The radiation usually doesn't reach beyond the area where it is placed, according to the American Brachytherapy Association. However, small amounts of radiation could reach others if a seed is passed while urinating or from small amounts of radiation that travels in the air. A visitor could accidentally inhale or ingest radioactive materials through contact with the patient.
Rarely, a small brachytherapy seed, about the size of a grain of rice, will become dislodged and work itself out of the prostrate or be eliminated through urination, according to medical physicist Kristofer Kainz, Ph.D., Wisconsin Medical College.
After a radiation oncologist implants the seeds and before visitors are allowed into the room, a medical physicist will perform a sweep of the room to ensure radiation levels are at safe levels, Kainz said.
Visitor Regulations
Under federal regulations, no one who is pregnant or under the age of 18 may visit the patient's room. Requests to visit from children under age 18 must be approved on a case-by-case basis by the hospital's radiation safety staff, according to Nuclear Regulatory Commission regulations.
Visitors must wear protective gowns, shoe covers and gloves and stay at least 6 feet from the patient. They should not touch the patient or handle any items in the room.
To limit their exposure, visitors should keep their stays short--an hour or less per day.
Visitors must not smoke, eat or drink while in the patient's room and they should not bring food or treats for the patient from home. People undergoing brachytherapy need to follow the diet plan developed by the hospital to ensure the best chance of tolerating their disease, surgery and treatments.
If a Seed is Dislodged
If a visitor notices that a seed implant has become dislodged he should not try to remove it. Instead, he should walk to the nurses station or ask the patient to ring for a nurse. Never touch radioactive implants with bare hands.
