Abstract
Background
The radionuclide (RN) method employed for sentinel lymph node biopsy is generally safe for adult medical care workers. However, the number of pregnant medical care workers who attend surgery has recently been increasing, along with the increasing number of female surgeons. In particular, female surgeons are concerned about the position of a surgeon’s lower abdominal region being close to the RN injection site. We measured the exposure dose of the lower abdominal region in medical care workers and investigated the possible exposure effect on fetuses.
Methods
A dose of 99mTc-phytic acid (37 MBq) was subcutaneously injected into the areola of the nipple of patients. Scintigraphy and surgery were performed after 1 and 4 h, respectively. At the time of the local injection, a personal dosimeter measured the exposure dose in the surgeon, first and second assistants, anesthesiologist, and scrub nurse.
Results
The median exposure doses were 3, 1, 1, 0, and 0 μSv in the surgeon, first and second assistants, anesthesiologist, and scrub nurse, respectively. Protective clothing reduced the mean exposure dose by 66 %.
Conclusions
In surgeons, the exposure dose from daily life activities (1 mSv/year) corresponds to the dose received after performing 333 surgeries (using 3 μSv as the median). However, the maximum value measured was 24 μSv; at this value, the total exposure dose exceeds 1 mSV in the 42nd surgery. Medical care workers can further reduce their exposure dose by paying attention to the surgical procedure and to their posture and position.
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Acknowledgments
The authors are indebted to Associate Professor Edward Barroga of the Department of International Medical Communications of Tokyo Medical University for their editorial review of the English manuscript.
Conflict of interest
The authors declare no sources of financial support for this work. No funding was received for this work from any organization.
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Kimura, F., Yoshimura, M., Koizumi, K. et al. Radiation exposure during sentinel lymph node biopsy for breast cancer: effect on pregnant female physicians. Breast Cancer 22, 469–474 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12282-013-0504-0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12282-013-0504-0