Standard Operating Procedure for In-house Preparation of (131)I-rituximab for Radioimmunotherapy of Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma

A Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) has been formulated for in-house preparation, quality control, dispensing and administration of (131)I-rituximab appropriate for the safe, effective, radioimmunotherapy of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. A decade of experience of semi-automated radioiodination of rituximab in our hospital radiopharmaceutical laboratory was analysed. The methodology was then refined for safe, practical, affordable application to radioimmunotherapy of lymphoma in departments of nuclear medicine in developing countries. This SOP has the potential to be incorporated into good laboratory practice conditions appropriate for local regulatory agency requirements.