Tolerance of the aorta using intraoperative iodine-125 interstitial brachytherapy in cancer of the lung

Interstitial 125I intrathoracic brachytherapy is a safe and effective method when used with sublobar resection in high-risk stage I non-small-cell lung cancer patients and may be used even in situations that require placement of the sources in close approximation to the aorta. The tolerance of the aorta seems to be greater than previously thought, and may well exceed 12,000 cGy over the permanent life of the interstitial implant. Interstitial 125I brachytherapy can safely be used to deliver significant radiation dose in direct contact with the aorta but supplemental, overlapping external beam irradiation should be avoided.