Dosimetric characterization of radionuclides for systemic tumor therapy: influence of particle range, photon emission, and subcellular distribution.
Journal article, 2006

Various radionuclides have been proposed for systemic tumor therapy. However, in most dosimetric analysis of proposed radionuclides the charged particles are taken into consideration while the potential photons are ignored. The photons will cause undesirable irradiation of normal tissue, and increase the probability of toxicity in, e.g., the bone marrow. The aim of this study was to investigate the dosimetric properties according to particle range, photon emission, and subcellular radionuclide distribution, of a selection of radionuclides used or proposed for radionuclide therapy, and to investigate the possibility of dividing radionuclides into groups according to their dosimetric properties. The absorbed dose rate to the tumors divided by the absorbed dose rate to the normal tissue (TND) was estimated for different tumor sizes in a mathematical model of the human body. The body was simulated as a 70-kg ellipsoid and the tumors as spheres of different sizes (1 ng-100 g). The radionuclides were either assumed to be uniformly distributed throughout the entire tumor and normal tissue, or located in the nucleus or the cytoplasm of the tumor cells and on the cell membrane of the normal cells. Fifty-nine radionuclides were studied together with monoenergetic electrons, positrons, and alpha particles. The tumor and normal tissue were assumed to be of water density. The activity concentration ratio between the tumor and normal tissue was assumed to be 25. The radionuclides emitting low-energy electrons combined with a low photon contribution, and the alpha emitters showed high TND values for most tumor sizes. Electrons with higher energy gave reduced TND values for small tumors, while a higher photon contribution reduced the TND values for large tumors. Radionuclides with high photon contributions showed low TND value for all tumor sizes studied. The radionuclides studied could be divided into four main groups according to their TND values: beta emitters, Auger electron emitters, photon emitters, and alpha emitters. The TND values of the beta emitters were not affected by the subcellular distribution of the radionuclide. The TND values of the Auger electron emitters were affected by the subcellular radionuclide distribution. The photon emitters showed low TND values that were only slightly affected by the subcellular radionuclide distribution. The alpha emitters showed high TND values that were only slightly affected by the subcellular radionuclide distribution. This dosimetric characterization of radionuclides may be valuable in choosing the appropriate radionuclides for specific therapeutic applications.

metabolism

radiotherapy

methods

therapeutic use

radiation effects

analysis

Computer Simulation

Radiopharmaceuticals

Humans

therapeutic use

methods

Biological

Radiometry

Neoplasms

Relative Biological Effectiveness

Photons

metabolism

pharmacokinetics

Body Burden

Radioisotopes

Subcellular Fractions

Computer-Assisted

analysis

Tissue Distribution

Radiotherapy Planning

Radiotherapy Dosage

Models

therapeutic use

pharmacokinetics

Author

Helena Uusijärvi

University of Gothenburg

Peter Bernhardt

University of Gothenburg

Thomas Ericsson

Chalmers, Mathematical Sciences

University of Gothenburg

Eva Forssell-Aronsson

University of Gothenburg

Medical Physics

0094-2405 (ISSN) 24734209 (eISSN)

Vol. 33 9 3260-9

Subject Categories

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES

DOI

10.1118/1.2229428

PubMed

17022220

More information

Created

10/7/2017