Salem (Ore.) Hospital voluntarily reported two incidents within its radiation oncology department to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission this year, The Statesman Journal reported Aug. 12.
Both incidents involved a high dose-rate afterloader, a cancer therapy device.
The first, on March 22, involved the delivery of a sealed source of Iridium-192 by a common carrier to the wrong floor of the hospital.
The second, on June 29, involved the discovery of a deviation in the length of a radiation therapy tube, which the hospital said may have led to the underdosing of some patients. The hospital has identified two treatments where underdosing may have occurred, on May 13 and June 22, and is compiling a list of all cases since the last tube measurement in June 2020.
"Any patient potentially affected will be informed," Lisa Wood, hospital spokesperson, told The Statesman Journal. "Salem Health is in contact with the manufacturer and is awaiting further information on how this happened."