days and has an air-kerma strength of 1,659.66 cGycm. The average energy of Iridium-192 is
380 KeV. The calculation method used for this procedure was TG 43 formula. This patient’s
prescribed dose is 400cGy for 6 fractions.
The critical structures involved in this treatment is,
the bladder, rectum, and sigmoid colon. The safety precautions taken prior to delivering the
treatment are thorough. Prior to each brachytherapy treatment the therapist and physicist work
together to make sure the procedure goes safely. The therapist makes sure the script is signed by
the doctor, fills out the time-out that includes the date and time and duration of the procedure,
and contacts the doctor when procedure is about to start so that the doctor is present for the
exam. The therapist also sets up the room for the patient by taking out the emergency kit incase
the radioactive source does not get retracted back into the storage area. The therapist also needs
to make sure there is a safe storage container to put the source in incase it does need to be
manually taken out of the patient. The therapist double checks his measurements and times for
each location the source will be travelling and signs off his measurements. Finally, the physicist
makes sure everyone is wearing his or her dosimeter during the treatment and surveys the storage
container and patient before and after every treatment.
My overall reflection to this procedure was that the procedure itself goes by really fast.
However, for the patient, they have to lay in their bed for an hour or two with the uncomfortable
cylinder inside them until their plan is ready. This patient was very nervous for her first treatment
and was afraid to move in any way for fear that she should would move the cylinder and ruin her
treatment. After her treatment she relaxed quite a bit and realized that it wasn’t so bad. I like all
the safety precautions that the clinical site takes to ensure that everything goes smoothly. It
amazes me that there is so much detail that goes into a treatment that takes but two to three
minutes.
