Evaluation of patient effective dose from sentinel lymph node lymphoscintigraphy in breast cancer: A phantom study with SPECT/CT and ICRP-103 recommendations

Although the total effective dose from using SPECT/CT is equivalent to the annual natural background radiation of about 3 mSv, nuclear medicine physicians should be aware of the increase in effective dose for SLN lymphoscintigraphy using hybrid imaging technique of SPECT/CT when compared to conventional planar 57Co flood source for transmission scan. Results from the current study provide update information in radiation exposure to patients undergoing SLN lymphoscintigraphy with the use of SPECT/CT.