Assessment with TLD of radiation exposure to staff during radium insertions in cancer of cervix.

A radiation protection survey has been carried out using TLD to assess the radiation exposure to staff during radium insertions for cancer of the cervix. The staff monitored were the radiotherapist, anaesthetist and operating theatre assistant. The radiotherapist, who received the highest exposure, had on the average 160 muGy (16 mrad) whole body (chest) dose while the finger tip doses were around 600 muGy (60 mrad) from the insertion of 60 mg radium. TLD was found to be convenient and sensitive for this purpose, including estimation of finger-tip doses. It helps to maintain the confidence of the staff that their doses are "as low as readily achievable" and also offers a means of checking improvements in practice where found necessary.