A novel approach for the adsorption of iodine-125 on silver wire as matrix for brachytherapy source for the treatment of eye and prostate cancer.

The adsorption of iodine-125 on silver wire bits coated with palladium to be sealed in titanium capsules as brachytherapy sources was studied. A method was optimized to obtain quantitative adsorption of 125I on the palladium treated silver wires. A comparative evaluation of palladium coated and uncoated (bare) silver wires on the adsorption of 125I was made. While, the adsorption of bare silver wires showed low, inconsistent uptake (approximately 60%) of 125I with high leachability (approximately 4%), the Pd coated silver wires showed quantitative and consistent uptake of 125I (approximately 90%) and exhibited low leachability (0.01%). 125I adsorbed on Pd coated silver wires could be used as a matrix for the preparation of interstitial sources in eye and prostate cancer therapy.