As a quality control procedure, a post-implant seed migration survey has been accomplished on 340 prostate cancer patients since November 2001. Pulmonary seed embolization and intracardiac seed embolization have been detected. A case of thyroid uptake due to leaking iodine-125 (I-125) sources was also seized. In order to determine the dose to the thyroid, a dosimetry method was developed to link in vivo measurements and the cumulated dose to the thyroid. The calculated source leakage half-life in the case was approximately 15 days based on the measurements and the estimated cumulated dose to thyroid was 204 cGy. It is concluded that one seed was leaking. In order to verify the in vivo measurements, intentional in vitro seed leakage tests were performed. A seed was cut open and placed in a sealed glass container filled with a given volume of saline. The I-125 concentration in the saline was subsequently measured over a period of six months. Consistent in vivo and in vitro results were obtained. Recent incidents of seed leaks reported from other centers have drawn practitioners' attention to this problem. In order to make the measurements more useful, the seed leakage tests were expanded to include I-125 seeds from six other vendors. The results show that the leakage half-lives of those seeds varied from nine days to a half-year. Two seed models demonstrated least leakage. Since the measurements lasted for six months, the escape of iodine resulted from oxidation of iodide in the saline was a concern for the measurement accuracy. As a reference, another set of leakage tests were performed by adding sodium thiosulfate salt (Na2S2O3 x 5 H2O) to the saline. Sodium thiosulfate is a reducing agent that prevents the conversion of iodide to iodate so as to minimize I-125 evaporation. As a result, significantly shortened leakage half-lives were observed in this group. Seed agitation was also performed and no significant deviations of the leakage rates were observed. Considering the body fluid is more complex than saline, the in vivo leakage half-life, in case a source leak is encountered, may vary significantly from what is presented in this paper due to chemical reactions. In vivo measurements thus may produce a more accurate estimation of leakage half-life and thyroid uptake dose.

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