Radiation Protection in Brachytherapy. Report of the SEFM Task Group on Brachytherapy

This document presents the report of the Brachytherapy Task Group of the Spanish Society of Medical Physics. It is dedicated to the radiation protection aspects involved in brachytherapy. The aim of this work is to include the more relevant aspects related to radiation protection issues that appear in clinical practice, and for the current equipment in Spain. Basically this report focuses on the typical contents associated with high dose rate brachytherapy with ¹92Ir and ⁶0Co sources, and permanent seed implants with ¹25I, ¹03Pd and ¹31Cs, which are the most current and widespread modalities. Ophthalmic brachytherapy (COMS with ¹25I, ¹06Ru, ⁹0Sr) is also included due to its availability in a significant number of spanish hospitals. The purpose of this report is to assist to the medical physicist community in establishing a radiation protection program for brachytherapy procedures, trying to solve some ambiguities in the application of legal requirements and recommendations in clinical practice. (Author)