[Radiation dose to the lung following endolymphatic radionuclide therapy of melanoma of the lower limbs].
The authors present 230 patients submitted to postoperative intralymphatic radiotherapy (ELRT) with radioactive Lipiodol UF because of a malignant melanoma of the inferior extremity. The incidence and volume of a possible invasion of the contrast medium into the lung and the resulting radiation exposure is indicated. Even if very low quantities of the contrast medium (3.5 ml and 7.0 ml, respectively) are used, only 22% of the cases show no pulmonary activity at all. Those patients who underwent bipedal ELRT showed more frequently higher radiation exposure. A correlation between lymph node weight and radiation exposure of the lung could not be demonstrated.