Biotech Values

[jellybean]

Sorry, but I-131 is very volatile. Now that doesn't mean the I-131 bound to an antibody is volatile, but my point was about the elimination products and unbound isotope, not the antibody. Ask anyone who has worked with I-131 in a lab -- they will tell you about the "side effects" even if they are following all standard safety precautions such as use in a flow hood.

Confrimation : http://jnm.snmjournals.org/cgi/reprint/20/9/995.pdf

http://theoncologist.alphamedpress.org/cgi/content/full/9/2/160

General Radiation Safety
Bexxar can be safely administered in an outpatient oncology clinic, although patients are required to have access to a nuclear medicine facility equipped to perform standard whole-body gamma camera counts. The radiation safety precautions followed during the administration of Bexxar are similar to those followed during standard radioiodine therapy; however, because the I-131 is conjugated to an antibody, the problems associated with the volatility of sodium iodide are minimized . It is recommended that the infusion equipment be dedicated exclusively to administering Bexxar; however, under normal operating conditions, infusion pumps should not become contaminated. During the infusion, the iodine I 131 tositumomab is shielded, patients are usually isolated in a specially prepared room, and access to the room is restricted. Patients can generally be released immediately after the infusion, as described below.

Patient Release Guidelines
The release of patients administered Bexxar must be carried out in compliance with federal and state regulations. In states that have adopted the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) regulations, patient release is carried out in compliance with NRC regulations specified in the Code of Federal Regulations 10 CFR Part 35 and Regulatory Guide 8.39, Release of Patients Administered Radioactive Materials [52]. This regulatory guide provides specific guidelines that must be followed for determining when a patient can be released from the hospital. These new regulations specify that patients can be released as long as the radiation doses to other individuals (e.g., family members) are not likely to exceed 500 millirems (mrem).