The Contribution of Radiology Service Staffs in the Optimization of TAP-CT Doses for Cancer Patients: A Comparative Study of Two Hospitals in Northern Morocco

Abstract

: The increasing share of Thoraco-Abdomino-Pelvic-CT scan (TAP-CT) dose delivered to cancer patients requires particular vigilance. In fact, the radioprotection practices of our cancer patients are poorly respected, especially in terms of the number of acquisitions performed by practitioners. For instance, when performing a TAP-CT scan in cancer patients, the series without injection and the series with injection include arterial time, portal time, and rarely late time, lead to three to four acquisitions. Most practitioners do this routinely without considering whether these acquisitions are justified or not. This work assesses the practices carried out in the service of radiology in two hospitals in the province of Tetouan (northern Morocco). The overall purpose is to improve the radioprotection of our cancer patients. The retrospective investigation involved a total of 100 patients performed TAP examination. The PDL total is in the order of 500.72±15.08mGy.cm, and the effective dose (E) is of the order of 7.51±0.226mSv. Sex and ages variables did not show any significant differences according to t-test and ANOVA respectively. However, the variable "number of acquisitions" per examination showed a significant difference for PDL total and the Effective Dose (F=16.462; p<0.001). The MANOVA analysis showed that the variables gender and number of acquisitions showed a significant effect; (D gender =0.748; p=0.042) and (D number of acquisitions =11.888; p<0.001). By comparing the results of two hospitals, we found a large variation in the delivered doses. The radiologist himself seems to be a significant factor that can influence unnecessary acquisitions and therefore the total delivered dose. Consequently, the standardization of TAP protocols and the sharing of best practices between hospitals becomes a necessary approach towards dose optimization.