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The Yale Journal of Biology and Medicine 1981The National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements (NCRP) in the USA and the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP), worldwide, were...
The National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements (NCRP) in the USA and the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP), worldwide, were formed about 1928 and have since made recommendations on appropriate levels of protection from ionizing radiation for workers and for the public. These recommendations and much of the guidance provided by these organizations have usually been adopted by regulatory bodies around the world. In the case of the NCRP, the levels have fallen from 0.1 roentgen per day in 1934 to the current 5 rem per year (a factor of about 5). The present levels recommended by both the ICRP and the NCRP correspond to reasonable levels of risk where the risks of harm from ionizing radiation are compared with the hazards of other, commonly regarded, as safe, industries. Some considerations for the future in radiation protection include trends in exposure levels (generally downward for the average exposure to workers) and improvements in risk estimation; questions of lifetime limits, de minimis levels, and partial body exposures; plus problems of high LET radiations, acceptability of risk, synergisms, and risk systems for protection.
Topics: Adult; Health Planning Councils; Health Planning Organizations; Humans; Neoplasms, Radiation-Induced; Prognosis; Radiation Dosage; Radiation Protection; Reference Standards; Risk; Time Factors
PubMed: 7342492
DOI: No ID Found -
BMJ (Clinical Research Ed.) Jun 1989
Review
Topics: Brachytherapy; Diagnostic Techniques, Radioisotope; Hospital Departments; Humans; Nuclear Medicine Department, Hospital; Patients; Personnel, Hospital; Radiation Protection; Radioisotopes; United Kingdom
PubMed: 2503111
DOI: 10.1136/bmj.298.6687.1538 -
The British Journal of Radiology Aug 2021To evaluate knowledge, routine use and concerns of trainee cardiologists in the Republic of Ireland regarding radiation use in the cardiac catheterization laboratory.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate knowledge, routine use and concerns of trainee cardiologists in the Republic of Ireland regarding radiation use in the cardiac catheterization laboratory.
METHODS
We handed out a Radiation Questionnaire to cardiology trainees in February 2020 at the Irish Cardiac Society "Spring Meeting". The questionnaire assessed radiation protection use amongst trainees and tested knowledge of X-ray basics.
RESULTS
Many trainees report inadequate access to properly sized lead protection, and infrequent dosimeter usage. Over one-third of trainees report musculoskeletal issues from wearing leads, the majority of whom use correct size lead <60% of the time.33.3% report radiation concerns will affect their decision making regarding subspeciality training, but notably 83.3% of females and only 19% of males surveyed report this, showing this is a bigger issue for females in cardiology. Less than half of trainees feel adequately educated about radiation.
CONCLUSION
Our assessment show deficiencies in the provision and use of personal protective equipment to trainees, highlights extra radiation concerns of female cardiology trainees, and notes gaps in knowledge in radiation use.
ADVANCES IN KNOWLEDGE
Our assessment highlights deficiencies in the education of cardiology trainees regarding ionizing radiation, and suggests this area needs to be improved upon.
Topics: Adult; Cardiac Imaging Techniques; Cardiology; Clinical Competence; Female; Humans; Ireland; Male; Procedures and Techniques Utilization; Radiation Protection; Self Report; Young Adult
PubMed: 33989036
DOI: 10.1259/bjr.20201348 -
International Journal of Radiation... May 2019The use of radioprotectors and radiomitigators could improve the therapeutic index of radiation therapy. With the intention of accelerating translation of... (Review)
Review
Decreasing the Toxicity of Radiation Therapy: Radioprotectors and Radiomitigators Being Developed by the National Cancer Institute Through Small Business Innovation Research Contracts.
PURPOSE
The use of radioprotectors and radiomitigators could improve the therapeutic index of radiation therapy. With the intention of accelerating translation of radiation-effect modulators (radioprotectors and mitigators), the Radiation Research Program and SBIR (Small Business Innovation Research) Development Center within the National Cancer Institute issued 4 Requests for Proposals (RFPs) from 2010 to 2013. Twelve SBIR contract awards in total were made in response to the 4 RFPs from September 2011 through September 2014. Here, we provide an update on the status of SBIR contract projects for the development of radiation-effect modulators.
METHODS AND MATERIALS
To assess the status of research and development efforts under the 4 RFPs on radiation-effect modulators, we searched PubMed for research articles, google.com for published abstracts, clinicaltrials.gov for ongoing or completed clinical trials, and company websites for press releases and other news. All information obtained and reported here is publicly available and thus protects the intellectual property of the investigators and companies.
RESULTS
Of the 12 SBIR projects funded, 5 (42%) transitioned successfully from phase 1 to phase 2 SBIR funding, and among the Fast-Track contracts, this rate was 100% (3 of 3). The Internet search identified 3 abstracts and 6 publications related to the aims of the SBIR contracts. One-third of the companies (4 of 12) have successfully launched a total of 8 clinical trials to demonstrate the safety and efficacy of their investigational agents. Two drugs are in clinical trials for their indication as a radioprotector, and 2 drugs are under evaluation for their anticancer properties (an immunomodulator and a small molecule inhibitor).
CONCLUSIONS
The National Cancer Institute's SBIR has provided pivotal funding to small businesses for the development of radioprotectors and radiomitigators, which resulted in multiple early-phase clinical trials. Longer follow-up is needed to determine the full impact of these novel therapeutics that enter clinical practice.
Topics: Contracts; Financing, Government; Humans; Inventions; National Cancer Institute (U.S.); Radiation Protection; Small Business; Technology, Radiologic; United States
PubMed: 30583040
DOI: 10.1016/j.ijrobp.2018.12.027 -
Anales de Pediatria (Barcelona, Spain :... Apr 2010Children are one of the population groups in which the photo-protection must be maximised. Firstly, because they take part in outdoor activities more often than adults.... (Review)
Review
Children are one of the population groups in which the photo-protection must be maximised. Firstly, because they take part in outdoor activities more often than adults. Secondly, because the principal risk factor for all types of skin cancer is ultraviolet radiation, and in particular, cumulative exposure during childhood. Hence, decreasing exposure to ultraviolet radiation in childhood has the potential to significantly lower the incidence of most forms of skin cancer. Photoprotection includes behavioural measures to protect the skin from sun exposure, e.g. sun protective clothes, hats, sunglasses, and sunscreens. It is necessary to provide information on aphotoprotection to parents, and, above all, to children, using educational campaigns to increase knowledge of photoprotection to help change attitudes towards sun exposure. Dermatologists and Paediatricians play a essential role in this educational work. In this article we review the latest information regarding paediatric sun protection, the new sunscreens, and the recent sun protection educational programs.
Topics: Child; Health Education; Humans; Radiation Protection; Skin Neoplasms; Sunscreening Agents
PubMed: 20053592
DOI: 10.1016/j.anpedi.2009.06.013 -
Radiation and Environmental Biophysics Nov 2022Exposure to radon progeny results in heterogeneous dose distributions in many different spatial scales. The aim of this review is to provide an overview on the state of... (Review)
Review
Exposure to radon progeny results in heterogeneous dose distributions in many different spatial scales. The aim of this review is to provide an overview on the state of the art in epidemiology, clinical observations, cell biology, dosimetry, and modelling related to radon exposure and its association with lung cancer, along with priorities for future research. Particular attention is paid on the effects of spatial variation in dose delivery within the organs, a factor not considered in radiation protection. It is concluded that a multidisciplinary approach is required to improve risk assessment and mechanistic understanding of carcinogenesis related to radon exposure. To achieve these goals, important steps would be to clarify whether radon can cause other diseases than lung cancer, and to investigate radon-related health risks in children or persons at young ages. Also, a better understanding of the combined effects of radon and smoking is needed, which can be achieved by integrating epidemiological, clinical, pathological, and molecular oncology data to obtain a radon-associated signature. While in vitro models derived from primary human bronchial epithelial cells can help to identify new and corroborate existing biomarkers, they also allow to study the effects of heterogeneous dose distributions including the effects of locally high doses. These novel approaches can provide valuable input and validation data for mathematical models for risk assessment. These models can be applied to quantitatively translate the knowledge obtained from radon exposure to other exposures resulting in heterogeneous dose distributions within an organ to support radiation protection in general.
Topics: Child; Humans; Radon; Radiation Dosage; Radon Daughters; Radiation Protection; Lung Neoplasms; Neoplasms, Radiation-Induced
PubMed: 36208308
DOI: 10.1007/s00411-022-00998-y -
Advanced Science (Weinheim,... Jun 2021Cancer patients undergoing therapeutic radiation routinely develop injury of the adjacent gastrointestinal (GI) tract mucosa due to treatment. To reduce radiation dose...
Cancer patients undergoing therapeutic radiation routinely develop injury of the adjacent gastrointestinal (GI) tract mucosa due to treatment. To reduce radiation dose to critical GI structures including the rectum and oral mucosa, 3D-printed GI radioprotective devices composed of high-Z materials are generated from patient CT scans. In a radiation proctitis rat model, a significant reduction in crypt injury is demonstrated with the device compared to without ( < 0.0087). Optimal device placement for radiation attenuation is further confirmed in a swine model. Dosimetric modeling in oral cavity cancer patients demonstrates a 30% radiation dose reduction to the normal buccal mucosa and a 15.2% dose reduction in the rectum for prostate cancer patients with the radioprotectant material in place compared to without. Finally, it is found that the rectal radioprotectant device is more cost-effective compared to a hydrogel rectal spacer. Taken together, these data suggest that personalized radioprotectant devices may be used to reduce GI tissue injury in cancer patients undergoing therapeutic radiation.
Topics: Animals; Disease Models, Animal; Gastrointestinal Tract; Humans; Mouth Neoplasms; Mucous Membrane; Organs at Risk; Printing, Three-Dimensional; Radiation Injuries; Radiation Protection; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Swine; Tomography, X-Ray Computed
PubMed: 34194950
DOI: 10.1002/advs.202100510 -
The British Journal of Radiology Mar 2023The International Commission on Radiological Protection recommends managing patient and occupational doses as an integrated approach, for the optimisation of...
OBJECTIVES
The International Commission on Radiological Protection recommends managing patient and occupational doses as an integrated approach, for the optimisation of interventional procedures. The conventional passive personal dosimeters only allow one to know the accumulated occupational doses during a certain period of time. This information is not enough to identify if there is a lack of occupational radiation protection during some procedures. This paper describes the use of a dose management system (DMS) allowing patient and occupational doses for individual procedures to be audited.
METHODS
The DMS manages patient and occupational doses measured by electronic personal dosimeters. One dosemeter located at the C-arm is used as a reference for scatter radiation. Data have been collected from five interventional rooms. Dosimetry data can be managed for the whole procedure and the different radiation events. Optimisation is done through auditing different sets of parameters for individual procedures: patient dose indicators, occupational dose values, the ratio between occupational doses, and the doses measured by the reference dosemeter at the C-arm, and the ratio between occupational and patient dose values.
RESULTS
The managed data correspond to the year 2021, with around 4500 procedures, and 8000 records on occupational exposures. Patient and staff dose data (for 11 cardiologists, 7 radiologists and 8 nurses) were available for 3043 procedures. The DMS allows alerts for patient dose indicators and occupational exposures to be set.
CONCLUSIONS
The main advantage of this integrated approach is the capacity to improve radiation safety for patients and workers together, auditing alerts for individual procedures.
ADVANCES IN KNOWLEDGE
The management of patient and occupational doses together (measured with electronic personal dosimeters) for individual interventional procedures, using dose management systems, allows alerting optimisation on high-dose values for patients and staff.
Topics: Humans; Radiology, Interventional; Radiation Dosage; Radiometry; Radiation Protection; Radiation Dosimeters; Occupational Exposure
PubMed: 36533561
DOI: 10.1259/bjr.20220607 -
Physica Medica : PM : An International... Nov 2017Most radiation protection programs, regulations and guidance apply specific restrictions to the occupational exposure of pregnant workers. The aim of this study was to... (Review)
Review
PURPOSE
Most radiation protection programs, regulations and guidance apply specific restrictions to the occupational exposure of pregnant workers. The aim of this study was to compile data from the declared pregnant woman (DPW) radiation protection program over more than 5years at a large, high-volume, comprehensive oncology academic/medical institution and to evaluate for effectiveness against existing regulations and guidance.
METHODS
A retrospective review was performed of the data collected as part of the DPW radiation protection program from January 2010 through May 2016, including the number of declared pregnancies, worker category, personal and fetal dosimetry monitoring measurements, workplace modifications, as well as the monthly and total recorded badge results during the entire pregnancy.
RESULTS
245 pregnancies were declared. The mean monthly fetal radiation dosimetry result was 0.009mSv with a median of 0.005mSv and a maximum of 0.39mSv. The mean total dose over the entire pregnancy was estimated to be 0.08mSv with a median of 0.05mSv and a maximum of 0.89mSv. Only 8 (3.2%) of the 245 declared pregnancies required that workplace modifications be implemented for the worker.
CONCLUSIONS
The implementation of a declared pregnancy and fetal assessment program, careful planning, an understanding of the risks, and minimization of radiation dose by employing appropriate radiation safety measures as needed, can allow medical staff to perform procedures and normal activities without incurring significant risks to the conceptus, or significant interruptions of job activities for most medical workers.
Topics: Academic Medical Centers; Female; Fetus; Humans; Occupational Exposure; Pregnancy; Radiation Exposure; Radiation Protection
PubMed: 28457788
DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmp.2017.04.012 -
Radiologie (Heidelberg, Germany) Jul 2023Imaging of structures of internal organs often requires ionizing radiation, which is a health risk. Reducing the radiation dose can increase the image noise, which means... (Review)
Review
CLINICAL/METHODOLOGICAL ISSUE
Imaging of structures of internal organs often requires ionizing radiation, which is a health risk. Reducing the radiation dose can increase the image noise, which means that images provide less information.
STANDARD RADIOLOGICAL METHODS
This problem is observed in commonly used medical imaging modalities such as computed tomography (CT), positron emission tomography (PET), single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), angiography, fluoroscopy, and any modality that uses ionizing radiation for imaging.
METHODOLOGICAL INNOVATIONS
Artificial intelligence (AI) can improve the quality of low-dose images and help minimize radiation exposure. Potential applications are explored, and frameworks and procedures are critically evaluated.
PERFORMANCE
The performance of AI models varies. High-performance models could be used in clinical settings in the near future. Several challenges (e.g., quantitative accuracy, insufficient training data) must be addressed for optimal performance and widespread adoption of this technology in the field of medical imaging.
PRACTICAL RECOMMENDATIONS
To fully realize the potential of AI and deep learning (DL) in medical imaging, research and development must be intensified. In particular, quality control of AI models must be ensured, and training and testing data must be uncorrelated and quality assured. With sufficient scientific validation and rigorous quality management, AI could contribute to the safe use of low-dose techniques in medical imaging.
Topics: Radiation Protection; Artificial Intelligence; Radiation Dosage; Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon; Positron-Emission Tomography
PubMed: 37347256
DOI: 10.1007/s00117-023-01167-y