Overview of the role of the HPA in radiation protection of patients in nuclear medicine

The Medical Dosimetry Group of the then NRPB at Chilton conducted a survey of nuclear medicine practice in the UK and assessed the collective dose to the population from this speciality in 1982. Nuclear medicine procedures make only about 8% of the contribution to the population dose compared with x-ray examinations. Practice is tightly controlled by strict licensing arrangements and there is generally less flexibility in the way that nuclear medicine examinations can be conducted than with x-ray examinations. Appropriate doses (levels of activity) for the radionuclides used in all established nuclear medicine imaging procedures have been prescribed by the Department of Health (DH) Administration of Radioactive Substances Advisory Committee (ARSAC) and there are well-established techniques for calculating organ doses and effective doses to patients from the administered activity.

These considerations had led to reduced effort being devoted by NRPB over recent years to assessing the doses to patients from nuclear medicine procedures. However, there have now been substantial changes in nuclear medicine practice, particularly with the routine application of Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT) and the recent introduction of Positron Emission Tomography (PET) into clinical practice. Consequently the Medical Dosimetry Group, in collaboration with the professional bodies in nuclear medicine is currently planning to repeat the 1982 survey. Moreover, the ARSAC Support Unit, which provides administrative support to ARSAC and processes well over 1000 applications each year from physicians wishing to obtain DH certification for the use of radiopharmaceuticals on patients, is staffed by members of the Medical Dosimetry Group at Chilton.

ARSAC certification is also required before drug trials can be conducted on human volunteers using radioactively-labelled drugs. As a separate service to pharmaceutical companies and associated laboratories, the Radionuclide Effects and the Internal Dosimetry Groups at Chilton, undertake calculations of likely doses to volunteers from the administration of novel radiolabelled drugs.

• Administration of Radioactive Substances Advisory Committee (ARSAC) Support Unit
  ARSAC was set up to advise the Department of Health on matters relating to the granting of certificates to practice nuclear medicine in the UK, and other related scientific and radiological safety issues.
  Added/updated: 13 August 2009
  
• Diagnostic reference levels
  The Ionising Radiation (Medical Exposure) Regulations 2000 require all British hospitals to implement diagnostic reference levels (DRLs) for both x-ray and nuclear medicine imaging procedures.
  Added/updated: 13 August 2009
  
• Dose calculations for medical research applications
  The Radionuclide Effects Group and the Internal Dosimetry Group at the HPA Radiation Protection Division, Chilton, jointly provide a dose calculation service to pharmaceutical companies and associated laboratories wishing to administer radiolabelled compounds to volunteers as part of their drug research programmes.
  Added/updated: 13 August 2009