Therapeutic use of Phosphorus-32

Phosphorus-32 (³²P) is a radioactive isotope of phosphorus with mass number as 32. It has a half life of 14.3 days and emits beta-particles. In the chemical form of Sodium hydrogen phosphate, ³²P is used in the treatment of leukemia (a type of blood cancer) and polycythemia (abnormal high count of erythrocytes in blood due to a variety of causes). It is also used for relief from pain in the patients affected by metastatic cancer of bone and the patient needs not to be hospitalized for such treatment. The doses range from 1 mCi to 10 mCi. In the colloidal form the radioisotope is used in the body cavities in the same manner as Gold-198 (¹⁹⁸Au) and the patient may need hospitalization for such therapy.

Phosphorus-32 (³²P) could also used in the differential diagnosis of tumors of the eye. A dose of 500 microCurie (mCi) to 750 microCurie (mCi) needs to be administered intravenously and after an hour, two hours and 4 hours, the radioactive concentration is measured in the diseased eye and the normal eye. If the tumor is malignant, the involved eye would take up more ³²P. The investigation may be performed on an out patient basis taking all the aseptic precautions by an eye specialist. It is worth to remember that after 10 half lives (143 day) this radioactive would almost exhaust in its content of radioactivity.