Radiation dosimetry of 18F-fluorocholine PET/CT studies in prostate cancer patients.
OBJECTIVE
We aimed to evaluate the Equivalent Doses (HTs) to highly exposed organs as well as the Effective Dose (ED) for (18)F-fluorocholine PET/CT scan in the follow-up of prostate cancer patients.


METHODS
Fifty patients were administered with (18)F-fluorocholine. The activities in organs with the highest uptake were derived by region-of-interest (ROI) analysis. OLINDA/EXM1.0 and Impact software were used to assess ED for the administered (18)F-fluorocholine and CT scan, respectively, and the (18)F-fluorocholine and CT-scan EDs summed to yield the total ED for the PET/CT procedure.


RESULTS
The calculated (18)F-fluorocholine and CT scans EDs based on ICRP Publication 103 were 5.2 mSv/300 MBq and 6.7 mSv, respectively. The (18)F-fluorocholine HTs to the liver, kidneys, spleen and pancreas were about threefold higher than those from the CT, which contributed a greater proportion of the total ED than the (18)F-fluorocholine did.


CONCLUSIONS
For (18)F-fluorocholine PET/CT procedures, about 40% of the ED is contributed by administered (18)F-fluorocholine and 60% by the CT scan. The kidneys and liver were the highly exposed organs. Considering the large number of diagnostic procedures oncology patients undergo, radiation dosimetry is important in relation to the stochastic risk of such procedures.
Medical Physics Unit, IRCCS Istituto Scientifico Romagnolo per lo Studio e la Cura dei Tumori (IRST), Meldola, FC, Italy. Electronic address: cinziafabbri@hotmail.com.
Cinzia
C
Fabbri
Nuclear Medicine Unit, Pierantoni-Morgagni Hospital, Forlì, FC, Italy.
Riccardo
R
Galassi
Nuclear Medicine Unit, Pierantoni-Morgagni Hospital, Forlì, FC, Italy.
Andrea
A
Moretti
Nuclear Medicine Unit, IRCCS IRST, Meldola, FC, Italy.
Emanuele
E
Sintuzzi
Nuclear Medicine Unit, IRCCS IRST, Meldola, FC, Italy.
Valentina
V
Mautone
Medical Physics Unit, Bufalini Hospital, Cesena, FC, Italy.
Graziella
G
Sarti
Laboratory of Medical Physics and Expert Systems, Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, IFO, Rome, Italy.
Lidia
L
Strigari
Medical Physics Unit, IRCCS Istituto Scientifico Romagnolo per lo Studio e la Cura dei Tumori (IRST), Meldola, FC, Italy.
Marcello
M
Benassi
Nuclear Medicine Unit, IRCCS IRST, Meldola, FC, Italy.
Federica
F
Matteucci
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002794:Choline / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; D058958:Organs at Risk / Q000528:radiation effects; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D011874:Radiometry; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*
C514960:fluorocholine; D002794:Choline
(18)F-Fluorocholine; Biodistribution; Dosimetry; Effective dose; Equivalent dose; PET/CT imaging