Radiation Dose to Patients Undergoing Nuclear Medicine Exams
Dosimetry Research
DCEG investigators in the Radiation Epidemiology Branch are developing a resource of dose estimates for use in epidemiological studies of radiation exposure from nuclear medicine examinations and cancer risk. As part of this effort, the investigators estimated organ doses received by patients who underwent nuclear medicine diagnostic exams over a 50-year period (1960–2010). They calculated radiation doses per examination to 14 organs, for 17 examination types, using different radiopharmaceuticals (also called radionuclides). The investigators determined the percentage of use of each radiopharmaceutical and the administered activity of the radiopharmaceutical based on a comprehensive literature review and International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) dose coefficients.
For more information, contact Dr. Vladimir Drozdovitch.