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Answer to Question #2543 Submitted to "Ask the Experts"Category: Radiation Effects — Biological Effects of Radiation The following question was answered by an expert in the appropriate field: Q
My father-in-law has prostate cancer and just had the seed implantation this week. They want us to come stay at their house over Easter weekend with our two small kids (under 5). I don't feel comfortable going as my mother-in-law was told not to sleep next to him for two months and to not take car trips over four hours. I couldn't find any exposure risks for children on the Web site. Can you help me out? I need some "motherly advice."
A
Unfortunately the information you provided is insufficient for a definitive answer. You should consult the radiation oncologist who provided the treatment (or his/her physicist who did the dose calculations) for specific instructions.
If you do go, you must realize that you and your family will get some additional radiation exposure from your father-in-law's treatment. All of us get some exposure (typically about 3 millisievert per year or about 0.3 microsievert per hour) from naturally occurring background radiation. You may compare the dose data you should get from the radiation oncologist to this number. It is important that you maintain distance as great as possible/practical between your family members (not just your children) and the patient. The dose level decreases proportional to the square of the distance. For example, if you double the distance from 5 to 10 feet, the dose level falls to 25% of what it was at 5 feet. If you must get closer, keep it as brief as possible. S. Julian Gibbs, DDS, PhD
Answer posted on 9 April 2003. The information and material posted on this Web site is intended as general reference information only. Specific facts and circumstances may alter the concepts and applications of materials and information described herein. The information provided is not a substitute for professional advice and should not be relied upon in the absence of such professional advice specific to whatever facts and circumstances are presented in any given situation. Answers are correct at the time they are posted on the Web site. Be advised that over time, some requirements could change, new data could be made available, or Internet links could change. For answers that have been posted for several months or longer, please check the current status of the posted information prior to using the responses for specific applications.
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