Radiation Exposure to the Personnel Performing Robotic Arm-Assisted Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography-Guided Biopsies

PURPOSE: The aim of the study was to estimate the radiation burden to personnel performing robotic arm-assisted positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT)-guided metabolic biopsies and to staff assisting the procedure in a PET/CT facility. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We estimated the whole-body exposures to physicians and staff based on the dose rate measurement with an ionization chamber-based calibrated survey monitor and pocket dosimeters during the robotic arm-assisted 2-[F-18]-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose PET/CT-guided biopsies from September 2016 to February 2017. In addition, we also noted the time to biopsy after injection and total biopsy time during which the staff was exposed to the radiation. RESULTS: In this prospective study, PET/CT-guided biopsy was performed in 50 patients (males – 36, females – 14) with a mean age of 54 ± 15 years (range17–78 years). Of the 50 biopsy procedures, 18 were lung biopsies, 10 were bone biopsies, and 22 biopsies were from abdomen/pelvic lesions. The mean time taken for the procedure was 26 ± 11 min. The mean time elapsed between injection and procedure was 182 ± 85 min and mean injected activity of 138.38 ± 74 MBq. The mean whole-body exposure per procedure to an interventionist and an assistant was 1.88 ± 0.82 μSv and 1.04 ± 0.75 μSv, respectively. The mean exposure rates at 0-m and 1-m distance from the patient were 30.77 ± 14.61 μSv/h and 2.59 ± 1.49 μSv/h, respectively. CONCLUSION: We conclude that the interventionist received the highest mean effective dose as compared to the helping staffs. The occupational radiation exposure was found to be within the limits as specified by the regulatory authorities (International Commission on Radiological Protection-103), and PET/CT-guided biopsies were safe from radiation protection point of view.