reduction of breast surface dose, cancer and mortality risks using lead apron during the head scanning a computed tomography technique

Introduction: the present study aimed to assess the reduction of breast surface dose, breast radiation-induced cancer incidence, and mortality risks when the lead apron shielding was positioned on the chest regions during head computed tomography (ct). material and methods: in this study, routine head ct scans were performed on 28 female patients with a mean body mass index (bmi) of 25.2 ± 2.8 kg/m^2. the common lead aprons (0.5 mm thicknesses) were folded and positioned in the chest regions. the breast surface doses were measured using six thermoluminescent dosimeters (tld-100), three tlds were located above the apron and three ones positioned under the apron. breast radiation-induced cancer incidence and mortality risks were estimated using the biological effects of ionizing radiation (beir-vii) model. finally, the measured doses and cancer/mortality risks were compared using paired sample t-test in spss software. results: the breast surface doses under and over the apron were obtained at 0.18±0.06 and 0.49±0.13 mgy, respectively, (p-value<0.05). although all cancer/mortality risks for both groups (over and under the apron) were very low, using the lead apron could decrease (significantly) breast cancer incidence risk ([1.24±0.32]×10^-3 % over the apron vs. [0.46±0.15] ×10^-3 % under the apron) and mortality risk ([0.30±0.08]×10^-3 % over the apron vs. [0.11±0.04] ×10^-3 % under the apron) about 63% in all patients. conclusion: the use of common lead aprons in the chest regions for patients undergoing head ct scans could significantly reduce the breast surface doses and radiation-induced cancer/mortality risks.