Biomaterial Database

First clinical experience with a remote afterloading system for low dose rate interstitial breast implants. 1988

H Meertens, and H Bartelink, and T Minderhoud

Radiotherapy Department, The Netherlands Cancer Institute (Antoni van Leewenhoekhuis), Amsterdam.

A new remote afterloading system, developed for low or medium dose rate brachytherapy has been clinically evaluated. With this apparatus, the Micro-Selectron, up to 15 192Ir wires or seeds encapsulated in a plastic tubing can be loaded simultaneously into implants. Improved radiological protection for the medical staff has now been achieved with this apparatus. One hundred and sixty patients have been treated so far with breast implants using remote afterloading. The mean error frequency over the last year was about one error every 10 treatments of which about half could be considered as machine failures. All treatments could, however, be finished by using spare channels of the afterloader. We have found that a set of 45 source assemblies is adequate for the loading of the breast-needle implants performed in our institute. Every 6 to 8 weeks a new set of 192Ir sources is prepared.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007496	Iridium Radioisotopes	Unstable isotopes of iridium that decay or disintegrate emitting radiation. Ir atoms with atomic weights 182-190, 192, and 194-198 are radioactive iridium isotopes.	Radioisotopes, Iridium
D009339	Needles	Sharp instruments used for puncturing or suturing.	Hypodermic Needles,Hypodermic Needle,Needle,Needle, Hypodermic,Needles, Hypodermic
D011879	Radiotherapy Dosage	The total amount of radiation absorbed by tissues as a result of radiotherapy.	Dosage, Radiotherapy,Dosages, Radiotherapy,Radiotherapy Dosages
D001918	Brachytherapy	A collective term for interstitial, intracavity, and surface radiotherapy. It uses small sealed or partly-sealed sources that may be placed on or near the body surface or within a natural body cavity or implanted directly into the tissues.	Curietherapy,Implant Radiotherapy,Plaque Therapy, Radioisotope,Radioisotope Brachytherapy,Radiotherapy, Interstitial,Radiotherapy, Intracavity,Radiotherapy, Surface,Brachytherapy, Radioisotope,Interstitial Radiotherapy,Intracavity Radiotherapy,Radioisotope Plaque Therapy,Radiotherapy, Implant,Surface Radiotherapy,Therapy, Radioisotope Plaque
D001943	Breast Neoplasms	Tumors or cancer of the human BREAST.	Breast Cancer,Breast Tumors,Cancer of Breast,Breast Carcinoma,Cancer of the Breast,Human Mammary Carcinoma,Malignant Neoplasm of Breast,Malignant Tumor of Breast,Mammary Cancer,Mammary Carcinoma, Human,Mammary Neoplasm, Human,Mammary Neoplasms, Human,Neoplasms, Breast,Tumors, Breast,Breast Carcinomas,Breast Malignant Neoplasm,Breast Malignant Neoplasms,Breast Malignant Tumor,Breast Malignant Tumors,Breast Neoplasm,Breast Tumor,Cancer, Breast,Cancer, Mammary,Cancers, Mammary,Carcinoma, Breast,Carcinoma, Human Mammary,Carcinomas, Breast,Carcinomas, Human Mammary,Human Mammary Carcinomas,Human Mammary Neoplasm,Human Mammary Neoplasms,Mammary Cancers,Mammary Carcinomas, Human,Neoplasm, Breast,Neoplasm, Human Mammary,Neoplasms, Human Mammary,Tumor, Breast
D005260	Female		Females
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man