Studies on the development of Nafion-115 based ¹⁷⁷Lu-patches for their potential application in superficial brachytherapy of skin cancer

A method to prepare Nafion membrane based ¹⁷⁷Lu - brachytherapy source was developed. Such sources may be useful in treatment of superficial cancers. The source preparation protocol was formulated to prepare stable sources containing up to ∼ 37 MBq/cm² of ¹⁷⁷Lu. Lutetium-177 incorporated polymeric membranes were entrenched between 40-micron thick plastic sheets. Distribution of ¹⁷⁷Lu within the source was substantially uniform and release of radioactivity from the source in water and saline was found to be within acceptable regulatory limits. Quality assessment of ¹⁷⁷Lu-patches signifies that these sources seem to be promising as radioactive technique for clinical use. (author)