Background To show whether the incidental radiation exposure received by comforters and carers of children undergoing molecular radiotherapy was kept as low as reasonably achievable and was within English national dose constraints. Procedure The radiation exposure of adult comforters and carers was routinely monitored with a whole body personal dose meter while the child was in hospital. Data were collected on iodine‐131 meta‐iodobenzylguanidine ( 131 I‐mIBG), lutetium‐177 DOTATATE ( 177 Lu‐DOTATATE), and iodine‐131 sodium iodide ( 131 I‐NaI) treatments. Results Data were available for 50 treatments with high‐administered activity double‐infusion 131 I‐mIBG and 12 single administrations; 15 177 Lu‐DOTATATE treatments and 28 131 I‐NaI administrations. The median age was 7 years (1–18). The median administered activity of: 131 I‐mIBG was 16.2 GBq (6.8–59 GBq) for double infusion patients and 8.1 GBq (5.26–16.25 GBq) for single administrations; 177 Lu‐DOTATATE was 7.2 GBq (2.5–7.5 GBq); and 131 I‐NaI was 3 GBq for thyroid remnant ablation and 5.5 GBq for cancer therapy. The median number of comforters and carers for all administrations was 2 (range 1–9). The median exposure values for comforters and carers for high‐administered activity 131 I‐mIBG administrations was 302 µSv (0–5282 µSv); for single fraction 131 I‐mIBG 163 µSv (3–3104 µSv); 177 Lu‐DOTATATE 6 µSv (1–79 µSv); and 131 I‐NaI 37 µSv (0–274 µSv). Only one of the comforters and carers exceeded the dose constraint of 5 mSv. Conclusions Doses to comforters and carers were in all but one case within the dose constraint nationally recommended by the Health Protection Agency, now part of Public Health England. New evidence is presented which show that comforter and carer radiation exposure levels from paediatric molecular radiotherapy in routine clinical practice are acceptably low. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2015;62:235–239. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Introduction: Sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsy is the evolving standard of care for the management of early breast cancer. Accurate identification of the SLN is paramount for success of this procedure. Various techniques are described for SLN identification, but the superficial injection techniques, advocated by the UK National Training Programme (NEW START), are validated, reproducible and rapid. Pre-operative lymphoscintigraphy provides a road map for the surgeon and requires a reporting template.Methods: As one of the NEW START training institutions in the UK practising this technique, we reviewed a mature series of 100 unselected, consecutive SLN lymphoscintigraphy procedures. We correlated the imaging, operative and pathology findings and have provided technical details of the technique and a template for reporting SLN lymphoscintigrams.Results: The SLN localisation rate was 99% with one failed imaging. Seven patients required delayed imaging. The mean activity of the radiocolloid injected was 14.4 MBq (range 8.3-23 MBq). The SLNs were visualised in the ipsilateral axilla in 98 images, intramammary in 3, and internal mammary in 1. A mean of 1.35 nodes were classified as 'True' SLNs on imaging criteria. Intra-operatively, a mean of 1.91 SLNs were excised. 32 of 116 hot and blue nodes, 7 of 15 only blue nodes, 13 of 47 only hot and 7 of 13 parasentinel nodes harboured metastases.Conclusion: The NEW START recommended, combined superficial injection techniques, have high localisation rates. Pre-operative sentinel node imaging is recommended and a template for reporting is provided. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Dickson, J.C.; Endozo, R.; Blanchard, P.; Waddington, W.A.; Groves, A.M.; Kayani, I.; Ell, P.J. Author Information

Groves, A.M.; Dickson, J.C.; Blanchard, P.; Endozo, R.; Kayani, I.; Speechly-Dick, M.E.; McEwan, J.; Shastry, M.; Townsend, C.; Waddington, W.A.; Prvulovich, E.; Bomanji, J.B.; Ell, P.J. Author Information

Institute of Nuclear Medicine, UCLH Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and UCL, London, UK Abstracts of the spring 2005 meeting of the British Nuclear Medicine Society Manchester International Convention Centre, UK; 14–16 March, 2005

Institute of Nuclear Medicine, UCLH Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and UCL, UK Abstracts of the spring 2005 meeting of the British Nuclear Medicine Society Manchester International Convention Centre, UK; 14–16 March, 2005

Britten, A.J.a; Evans, W.D.b; Hinton, P.c; Morton, R.J.c; Perkins, A.C.d; Tindale, W.B.e; Waddington, W.A.f Author Information