Hi Chrissie,
I am not an oncologist/radiation specialist but as well as being a CML veteran(14 years) three months ago I had treatment for early stage prostate cancer in the form of targeted but localised one off implants into the prostate gland of iodine-125 seeds (71 in total) so I will be radioactive until 2021:it was termed LDL or 4D Brachytherapy. I am advised to not handle young babies for a long period of time nor to sit next to pregnant ladies but apart from that there is no risk to anyone else that I might mix with or be next to.
So your friend will be administered external radiation beam therapy daily to the upper chest and to a small area on a daily basis for say up to 4/5 weeks I assume -a bit like a drip feed to kill off the affected malignant cells.I dont think that you will be at risk at all.
In my case but this is another story, I came off imatinib for 14 weeks as we were unsure of the interaction between the tki and the quite specific quite high targeted dose of radiation therapy-there is nothing in the medical literature on this interaction risk .If I was offered external radiation beam therapy into the pelvic area we would have been more concerned because there is a lot of bone marrow around the hip bones that might have received some stray rays.
In conclusion I see every reason for you to go ahead and do a good deed for your friend.
With best wishes
John
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