The External Hazards of Alpha Particles
In November 2024, the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission sent an e-mail to licensees informing them that alpha particles with an energy greater than 7 MeV could deliver a significant dose to the skin. This represents a paradigm shift in how we understand the external hazards presented by alpha particles. This discovery also coincides with a […]
Optimizing Radiation Protection in ¹⁷⁷Lu-Based Radiopharmaceutical Therapy: The Need for Standardized Internal Dosimetry
Radiopharmaceutical therapy (RPT) with Lutetium-177 (¹⁷⁷Lu) has revolutionized targeted cancer treatment, offering theranostic capabilities that integrate diagnosis and therapy. However, ensuring radiation safety for patients, healthcare workers, and the environment remains a critical challenge. This study examines radiation protection measures and regulatory requirements for ¹⁷⁷Lu-based RPT in Canada, focusing on Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) […]
The Trials and Tribulations of Implementing Safe Radiopharmaceutical Therapy at BC Cancer – Vancouver
Radiopharmaceutical therapies (RPT) using Lutetium-177 and Actinium-225 are promising treatments whose use is rapidly expanding around the world. Clinical trials using these RPT radioisotopes to treat prostate and neuroendocrine disease have shown impressive patient response. In early 2019, BC Cancer-Vancouver administered the first Lu-177 patient treatment in British Columbia. Accomplishing this milestone required a substantial […]
A systematic review on thyroid cancer and diseases from radiation exposure in adulthood
The thyroid regulates many vital functions in the body, including growth, metabolism, reproduction, heart rate, blood pressure and body temperature. The thyroid gland is vulnerable to ionizing radiation, with cancer being the primary health effect of concern following low to moderate exposures. A linear dose-response relationship between childhood radiation exposure and thyroid cancer has been […]
UNSCEAR Evaluation on Second Primary Cancer after Radiotherapy
The United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR) was established in 1955 by the United Nations General Assembly, with the mandate to evaluate the latest scientific data on levels, effects and risks of exposure to ionizing radiation on humans and the environment; and to provide independent, objective and up-to-date scientific basis […]