Attention Travelers on Pluvicto!

[Pwjpp55]

I was administered my first dose of Pluvicto on August 30. On September 15, I drove back from a trip to Thunder Bay, ON, Canada into Minnesota. At the Pigeon River border crossing, I was flagged due to tripping the radiation detector while I was in the car!

After being asked what I did and bought in Canada, the customs officer asked me if I've had recent medical treatment. When I said yes, she told me that I tripped the radiation detector, and asked for documentation.

Thankfully, I had my card from the U of MN radiation therapy office, documenting what I had, when, and whom to call if there was a question.

I was instructed to drive to the impound lot and wait for further instructions. After a few minutes another customs officer came out with a scintillator. He didn't approach the car, but asked me to step out and move away from the car. After wanding the car, he then walked towards me stopping about 10' away while reading his meter.

He then told me to return to the car and wait. After about 40 minutes he returned with my passport and treatment card and told me that I was free to go.

Pigeon River is a remote border crossing, so after about an hour, when I got cell service, I called the radiation therapy office. The radiation protection officer at the U of MN told me that he hadn't received a call from customs. So what they did for 40 minutes was a mystery.

The important lesson for Pluvicto users is that you will trip radiation detectors! My card says that may occur up to 42 days after treatment! Therefore, ensure you have some sort of documentation as well as an information phone number if there are questions.

[CAMPSOUPS]

Wow. What a story. And good advise.

[Pwjpp55 in reply to CAMPSOUPS]

I was certainly surprised!

[Pwjpp55]

I think they were surprised that my body was the source.

[Yadifan]

Wow! Good to know! Thanks for the warning!

[Foxewolf]

I was stopped at passport control at Newark airport on my return from from treatment in Munich . Two officers became alarmed about the radiation and a third led me off to holding area. I had a letter from the doctor about the radiation. I waited for about an hour until I was released

[Pwjpp55 in reply to Foxewolf]

Interesting. So it wasn't just me!

[cigafred]

Same thing here. I was stopped entering the White House a few days after a bone scan. They sat me down next to a large wooden box, and after a couple of minutes they knew what kind of radiation I was emitting, which squared with what I had told them, and in I went.

[HopingForTheBest1]

Have you been told about potential effects to those regularly close to you, including in your home or car?

[Pwjpp55 in reply to HopingForTheBest1]

Yes. Basically, you're "isolated" for 3 days, then no contact with kids or pregnant women for 7 more days. There are other precautions, but I don't have the list with me.

[Gabby643]

wow, that's scary.

[Cooolone]

WOW! Crazy stuff, thanks for posting!

[MateoBeach]

indeed! I tripped the detector at the land border crossing from BC Canada into Oregon one month after Lu treatment in Australia. And I no longer had my letter of explanation from Dr. Lenzo in Perth.

Unfortunately the detectors used by CBP have a library of isotope signatures, but have not been updated to include Lu177 yet! The detectors register a wavelength that most closely matches Plutonium! So that certainly leads to alarms and delays to sort it out.

[Pwjpp55 in reply to MateoBeach]

Wow! Interesting.