Radiation dose during CT-guided percutaneous cryoablation of renal tumors: Effect of a dose reduction protocol

Highlights • Potentially substantial radiation doses are received by patients during CT-guided percutaneous cryoablation of renal tumors. • Radiation dose reductions are achievable by decreasing tube current and kilovoltage of targeting and monitoring scans and reducing the number of monitoring scans. • Further dose reductions are possible through the use of CT fluoroscopy during the targeting phase so as to limit the number of helical CT scans acquired. • The findings of this study have an important implication for patient care: the potential radiation doses received by patients during CT-guided percutaneous renal cryoablation procedures should alert interventional radiologists of the need for adopting procedural techniques and dose reduction protocols that limit radiation dose.