Is it necessary to define new diagnostic reference levels during pandemics like the Covid19-?

Zeinali-Rafsanjani, Banafsheh; Alavi, Azamalsadat; Lotfi, Mehrzad; Haseli, Sara; Saeedi-Moghadam, Mahdi; Moradpour, Moein

doi:10.1016/j.radphyschem.2022.110739

Cited by 5 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 40 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Therefore, in pandemics such as COVID-19 where ionizing radiation is employed for screening or follow-up of a large population, radiation settings can be significantly lower than in routine scans [ 26 ]. Deciding to reduce patient’s radiation dose is critical and can significantly affect the cumulative dose of patients and reduce the stochastic effect of radiation, including radiation-induced cancer [ 27 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Altogether, it is crucial to recognize that even a slight increase in cancer risk at the population level can translate into a substantial number of additional cancer cases over time [ 4 , 27 ]. For example, it is commonly reported that a CT scan may be associated with an increase in the risk of cancer of approximately 1 in 2,000 [ 10 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

COVID-19 and cancer risk arising from ionizing radiation exposure through CT scans: a cross-sectional study

Mahmoudi,

Toolee,

Maskani

et al. 2024

BMC Cancer

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background The surge in the utilization of CT scans for COVID-19 diagnosis and monitoring during the pandemic is undeniable. This increase has brought to the forefront concerns about the potential long-term health consequences, especially radiation-induced cancer risk. This study aimed to quantify the potential cancer risk associated with CT scans performed for COVID-19 detection. Methods In this cross-sectional study data from a total of 561 patients, who were referred to the radiology center at Imam Hossein Hospital in Shahroud, was collected. CT scan reports were categorized into three groups based on the radiologist’s interpretation. The BEIR VII model was employed to estimate the risk of radiation-induced cancer. Results Among the 561 patients, 299 (53.3%) were males and the average age of the patients was 49.61 ± 18.73 years. Of the CT scans, 408 (72.7%) were reported as normal. The average age of patients with normal, abnormal, and potentially abnormal CT scans was 47.57 ± 19.06, 54.80 ± 16.70, and 58.14 ± 16.60 years, respectively (p-value < 0.001). The average effective dose was 1.89 ± 0.21 mSv, with 1.76 ± 0.11 mSv for males and 2.05 ± 0.29 mSv for females (p-value < 0.001). The average risk of lung cancer was 3.84 ± 1.19 and 9.73 ± 3.27 cases per 100,000 patients for males and females, respectively. The average LAR for all cancer types was 10.30 ± 6.03 cases per 100,000 patients. Conclusions This study highlights the critical issue of increased CT scan usage for COVID-19 diagnosis and the potential long-term consequences, especially the risk of cancer incidence. Healthcare policies should be prepared to address this potential rise in cancer incidence and the utilization of CT scans should be restricted to cases where laboratory tests are not readily available or when clinical symptoms are severe.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%