Due to the fact that the existing commercial
analgesic drugs are not able to reduce effectively the
pain caused by the metastatic
bone disease, the use of
radiopharmaceuticals with avidity to selectively localize in the metastatic skeletal sites, such as strondium-89
chloride (89Sr-Cl2), rhenium-186-hydroxy
ethylene diphosphonate (186Re-HEDP), and samarium-153-ethylene
diamine tetramethylene (153Sm-EDTMP), is widely accepted. However this medical application may be dangerous for the occupied personnel and more for general public, if
radioactive waste is not properly disposed. In the following article we try to estimate the degree and the significance of that risk. For that reason we discuss the physical properties of these
radionuclides and their distribution in the body of the patient. We conclude that 89Sr is not harmful for the physician, the attending personnel or those who live with the patient, because it radiates beta-radiation, while its gamma-radiation is negligeable. The
radionuclides 186Re and 153Sm besides beta-radiation, also emit a perceptible amount of gamma-radiation. It has been shown that the exposure to gamma-radiation from these
radionuclides of the physician, the attending personnel or those who live with the patient is very low as compared to the internationally accepted radioprotection limits. However the environmental contamination per treatment by either of these three
radionuclides is not negligeable in comparison to the national and international accepted limits. Patients that are not in good clinical condition may pose an additional contamination danger to those attending them. For limiting radiocontamination, the annual number of treatments by the above three previous
radionuclides, should be considered according to the ALARA principle in relation with the correct handling of these patients, and also considering the fundamentals of radioprotection.