Estimated cancer risks attributable to radiation dose in ureteral stenting procedures

• Autor(a) principal: Ribeiro, Tiago
• Data de Publicação: 2008
• Outros Autores: Martins, Cláudia, Rocha, Marta
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: por
• Título da fonte: Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos)
• Texto Completo: https://doi.org/10.25758/set.44
• topic: Cateterismo ureteral; Radiação X; Dose; Risco; Carcinogénese; Ureteral stenting; X-ray; Dose; Risk; Cancer

Introduction: Double-J ureteral stenting is a frequent interventional urological procedure that implicates the use of x-ray fluoroscopy, with considerable exposure times, incident in an anatomic region with several organs. This fact raises doubts about the patient risks attributed to radiation dose. The purpose of this study was to clarify these doubts in estimating the cancer risk inherent to the patient's effective dose. Method: We studied specific data of 146 patients submitted to ureteral stenting procedures in the Urologic Department of Hospital Santa Maria. Effective doses were determined with a computational Monte Carlo-based program. Cancer risks were estimated with probability coefficients considering the linear non-threshold dose-effect relation (LNT) of the low doses of radiation. Results: A patient submitted to a ureteral stent insertion followed by a removal procedure, develops an increased cancer risk of 0,012%. This means that 1 in 8330 patients develops radiation-induced cancer. Also, a patient submitted to a ureteral stent insertion followed by 1 substitution, and a removal procedure is submitted to a mean effective dose of 4,47 mSv. This value is similar to the effective dose of an abdominal TC. Conclusion: When we compare the radiation risks with the clinical benefit, of “saving” renal function, we can conclude that benefits are greatly more important than risks. Furthermore, we verify that, although low, there is always some risk attributed to radiation dose. Thus, dose optimization and clinical justification should always be considered in these procedures.