CT chest and abdomen procedures yielded high risks of breast cancer for young females: Study

During the chest CT procedure, breast doses ranged from 1.6 to 33 mSv. The researchers recommended proper optimization and justification to save young women from potential radiogenic risks and avoid unnecessary breast radiation exposure.

"There is a need to consider the effects of the radiation dose of computed tomography (CT) on the breasts when women are undergoing examination for reasons other than breast imaging," Nissren Tamam, Princess Nourah Bint Abdulrahman University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and colleagues wrote in their study.

Four hundred million CT procedures are performed annually, accounting for 62% of the total annual collective effective dose for patients globally. The researchers note that chest CT exposes patients to effective radiation doses 400 times more than x-rays. Exposure at this level increases the risk of cancer development, including breast cancer. Citing research, the team wrote, "breast tissue dose can vary four-fold dependent on CT protocols and dose estimation practice; this boosts vulnerability of the women to the disease.

The group wrote, "high doses of breast associated with CT imaging for the chest and abdomen indicate that special attention is required to optimize dose delivery for the maximum benefits of this diagnostic modality."

In short, CT scanning achieves a much higher radiation dose than planar radiological procedures, posing increased risks to patients. Dr. Tamam and colleagues, in their study, measured and evaluated patients' doses during chest and abdomen CT procedures.

The research team focused on measuring the dose to the equivalent breast (mSv) and evaluating the associated breast cancer risks to young female patients aged 15-35. Data were retrieved from standard examinations from three hospitals. The measured values of CT dose indexes, CTDI (mGy), and exposure-related parameters were utilized for assessment. Extrapolation of breast and effective doses were done using a software.

Key findings include:

· The results showed remarkable variations in mean organ equivalent doses for similar CT examinations in the studied hospitals. This could be due to the variation in CT scanning imaging techniques and clinical indications.

· The average effective dose for the chest was 7.9 mSv (2.3–47.0 mSv), and for the abdomen, the mean dose was 6.6 mSv, ranging from (3.3–27 mSv).

· The breast received equivalent doses from chest and abdomen procedures as follows: 10.2 (1.6–33 mSv) and 10.1(2.3–19 mS) Sv, respectively.

"Each procedure poses high risks of breast cancer for young females aged 15-35 years," the researchers wrote. "Implementation of accurate referral criteria is recommended to avoid needless breast radiation exposure."

Reference:

The study titled "Assessment of breast dose and cancer risk for young females during CT chest and abdomen examinations" was published in Applied Radiation and Isotopes. DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apradiso.2022.110452