Porous ceramic materials based on calcium phosphate compounds (CPC) have been studied aiming at different biomedical applications such as implants, drug delivery systems and radioactive sources for brachytherapy. Two kinds of hydroxyapatite (HAp) powders and their ceramic bodies were characterized by a combination of different techniques (X-rays diffraction and fluorescence, infrared spectrophotometry, BET method, thermal analysis, and scanning electron microscopy) to evaluate their physico-chemical and microstructural characteristics in terms of chemical composition, segregated phases, microstructure, porosity, and chemical and thermal stability. The results revealed that these systems presented potential for use as porous biodegradable radioactive sources able to be loaded with a wide range of radionuclides for cancer treatment by the brachytherapy technique.
hydroxyapatite; brachytherapy
