Don Lawrence and the “k-capture” revolution

• Published in: Brachytherapy Vol. 9; no. 4; pp. 373 - 381
• Main Author: Aronowitz, Jesse N
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 01-10-2010
• Subjects: Brachytherapy; Brachytherapy - history; Cesium; Cesium Radioisotopes - history; Donald Lawrence; Gold; Hematology, Oncology and Palliative Medicine; History of medicine; History, 20th Century; Humans; Iodine; Iodine Radioisotopes - history; Iridium; Lawrence; Palladium; Radiogold; Radioiodine; Radiology; Radon; Seeds; Ulrich Henschke; United States; United States; Donald Lawrence; Gold; Seeds; Radon; Cesium; Radioiodine; Palladium; History of medicine; Ulrich Henschke; Brachytherapy; Iridium; Radiogold; Iodine
• ISSN: 1538-4721; 1873-1449
• DOI: 10.1016/j.brachy.2009.07.014

Abstract Purpose The practice of brachytherapy was in steep decline in the mid-20th century, largely because of safety issues. This article explores the innovations that revitalized brachytherapy with special attention to the introduction of low-energy seeds for permanent implantation. Methods and Materials Literature review; interviews; and the memos, records, and correspondence of Donald C. Lawrence. Results Paul Harper first proposed the use of radionuclides that decay by k-capture in the 1950s. But it was the vision and tenacity of health physicist Donald Lawrence that led to the successful implementation of I-125 (in the 1960s) and Cs-131 (40 years later).