Assessment of radiation risk associated with single PET / CT scanning

The article presents the method for calculation of life-time attributable risk (LAR) of cancer associated with PET/CT scanning. The calculation was based on modern ICRP model described in the ICRP Publication 103, with the use of DLP parameter and radiation doses to organs and tissues of interest. Calculated LARs from stand-alone CT were compared with LARs from PET/CT using different radiopharmaceuticals. Lifetime radiation-associated cancer risks from single CT scanning in males and females of different ages were higher. In addition to that, LAR from CT in younger age groups of males and females was two times higher than LAR from PET/CT with the use of 11С-methionine. The least difference between LARs from CT and PET/CT scans was in case of abdominal and pelvic organs of females in the age group "older than 70 years".