Program Information
Feasibility of Low Dose Lung Cancer Screening with a Whole-Body Photon Counting CT: First Human Results
R Symons*, T Cork , L Folio , D Bluemke , A Pourmorteza , National Institutes of Health Clinical Center, Bethesda, MD
Presentations
WE-FG-207B-7 (Wednesday, August 3, 2016) 1:45 PM - 3:45 PM Room: 207B
Purpose: To evaluate the feasibility of using a whole-body photon counting detector (PCD) CT scanner for low dose lung cancer screening compared to a conventional energy integrating detector (EID) system.
Methods: Radiation dose-matched EID and PCD scans of the COPDGene 2 phantom and 2 human volunteers were acquired. Phantom images were acquired at different radiation dose levels (CTDIvol: 3.0, 1.5, and 0.75 mGy) and different tube voltages (120, 100, and 80 kVp), while human images were acquired at vendor recommended low-dose lung cancer screening settings. EID and PCD images were compared for quantitative Hounsfield unit accuracy, noise levels, and contrast-to-noise ratios (CNR) for detection of ground-glass nodules (GGNs) and emphysema.
Results: The PCD Hounsfield unit accuracy was better for water at all scan parameters, and for lung, GGN and emphysema equivalent regions of interest (ROIs) at 1.5 and 0.75 mGy. PCD attenuation accuracy was more consistent for all scan parameters (all P<0.01), while Hounsfield units for lung, GGN and emphysema ROIs changed significantly for EID with decreasing dose (all P<0.001). PCD showed lower noise levels at the lowest dose setting at 120, 100 and 80 kVp (15.2±0.3 vs 15.8±0.2, P=0.03; 16.1±0.3 vs 18.0±0.4, P=0.003; and 16.1±0.3 vs 17.9±0.3, P=0.001, respectively), resulting in superior CNR for the detection of GGNs and emphysema at 100 and 80 kVp. Significantly lower PCD noise levels were confirmed in volunteer images.
Conclusion: PCD provided better Hounsfield unit accuracy for lung, ground-glass, and emphysema-equivalent foams at 1.5 and 0.75 mGy with less variability than EID. Additionally, PCD showed less noise, and higher CNR at 0.75 mGy for both 100 and 80 kVp. PCD technology may help reduce radiation exposure in lung cancer screening while maintaining diagnostic quality.
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