Gareth R Iball1, Natalie A Bebbington, Maria Burniston, Sue Edyvean, Louise Fraser, Peter Julyan, Nasreen Parkar, Tim Wood. 1. aLeeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Medical Physics Department, Old Medical School, Leeds General Infirmary, Leeds, LS1 3EX bUniversity Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham, Mindelsohn Way, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2GW cSiemens Healthineers, Borupvang 9, 2750 Ballerup, Denmark dRoyal Free London NHS Foundation Trust, Pond St, London NW3 2QG eMedical (Radiation) Dosimetry Group, Centre for Radiation, Chemical and Environmental Hazards (CRCE), Public Health England, Chilton, Didcot, Oxfordshire OX11 0RQ fARSAC, Medical Exposures Group, Radiation Assessments Department, Centre for Radiation, Chemical and Environmental Hazards, Public Health England, Chilton, Didcot, Oxfordshire OX11 0RQ gChristie Medical Physics & Engineering, The Christie NHS Foundation Trust, Withington, Manchester, M20 4BX hRadiation Physics Department, Queen's Centre for Oncology and Haematology, Castle Hill Hospital, Hull & East Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust, Castle Road, Hull, HU16 5JQ, UK iFaculty of Science, University of Hull, Cottingham Road, Hull, HU6 7RX, UK.
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to conduct a nationwide survey of computed tomography (CT) doses for a wide range of PET-CT and single photon emission computed tomography-computed tomography (SPECT-CT) imaging procedures, with the aim of generating proposed UK national diagnostic reference levels (NDRLs). METHODS: CT protocol and dosimetry data for three PET-CT and seven SPECT-CT examinations were gathered from centres across the UK. Data were divided according to CT purpose (attenuation correction, localization or diagnostic) and third quartile values of scanner average dose metrics were used to generate suggested NDRLs for a range of examination and CT purpose combinations. Achievable doses were also established from the median of the dose distributions. RESULTS: Data were obtained from 47 centres, allowing suggested NDRLs to be produced for fluorine-18-fluorodeoxyglucose half-body PET-CT, and parathyroid, post-thyroid ablation, meta-iodobenzylguanidine/octreotide, cardiac and bone SPECT-CT examinations.Variations in dose of up to a factor of 35 were observed for a given examination/CT purpose combination. For fluorine-18-fluorodeoxyglucose half-body PET-CT examination dose levels for the three CT purposes overlapped, which highlights the variability in the way in which CT purposes are interpreted across the UK. This lack of standardization is believed to be the largest contributor to the dose variations that were observed. The survey highlighted the need for targeted optimization work in many centres. CONCLUSION: Suggested UK NDRLs and achievable doses for six common PET-CT and SPECT-CT examinations have been established as a result of this study.
OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to conduct a nationwide survey of computed tomography (CT) doses for a wide range of PET-CT and single photon emission computed tomography-computed tomography (SPECT-CT) imaging procedures, with the aim of generating proposed UK national diagnostic reference levels (NDRLs). METHODS: CT protocol and dosimetry data for three PET-CT and seven SPECT-CT examinations were gathered from centres across the UK. Data were divided according to CT purpose (attenuation correction, localization or diagnostic) and third quartile values of scanner average dose metrics were used to generate suggested NDRLs for a range of examination and CT purpose combinations. Achievable doses were also established from the median of the dose distributions. RESULTS: Data were obtained from 47 centres, allowing suggested NDRLs to be produced for fluorine-18-fluorodeoxyglucose half-body PET-CT, and parathyroid, post-thyroid ablation, meta-iodobenzylguanidine/octreotide, cardiac and bone SPECT-CT examinations.Variations in dose of up to a factor of 35 were observed for a given examination/CT purpose combination. For fluorine-18-fluorodeoxyglucose half-body PET-CT examination dose levels for the three CT purposes overlapped, which highlights the variability in the way in which CT purposes are interpreted across the UK. This lack of standardization is believed to be the largest contributor to the dose variations that were observed. The survey highlighted the need for targeted optimization work in many centres. CONCLUSION: Suggested UK NDRLs and achievable doses for six common PET-CT and SPECT-CT examinations have been established as a result of this study.
Authors: Lucy C Pike; Christopher M Thomas; Teresa Guerrero-Urbano; Andriana Michaelidou; Tony Greener; Elizabeth Miles; David Eaton; Sally F Barrington Journal: Br J Radiol Date: 2019-08-23 Impact factor: 3.039
Authors: Mark Worrall; Mike Holubinka; Glafkos Havariyoun; Kirsten Hodgson; Sue Edyvean; John Holroyd; Anne Davis; Matthew Dunn; Anna Gardiner Journal: Br J Radiol Date: 2021-11-19 Impact factor: 3.039
Authors: Natalie A Bebbington; Bryan T Haddock; Henrik Bertilsson; Eero Hippeläinen; Ellen M Husby; Virpi I Tunninen; Marcus Söderberg Journal: EJNMMI Phys Date: 2019-12-16