Radiation dose comparison of transradial and transfemoral access in transarterial radioembolization and chemoembolization

Year 2025, Volume: 11 Issue: 2, 387 - 394

Yeliz Basar , Mustafa Ege Seker , Koray Guven

https://doi.org/10.18621/eurj.1624900

Abstract

Objective: To compare radiation doses associated with transradial access (TRA) and transfemoral access (TFA) in transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) and transarterial radioembolization (TARE) procedures for hepatic cancers.

Methods: This retrospective, single-center study analyzed 119 patients who underwent TACE or TARE between October 2016 and October 2024. Radiation dose parameters were compared between TRA and TFA groups, including fluoroscopy time, fluoroscopy and fluoroscopy-digital radiography combined dose-area product (DAP), and total air kerma (AK). Statistical analyses were performed using the Mann-Whitney U test and Chi-squared test.

Results: TRA was associated with significantly higher radiation exposure compared to TFA, including increased fluoroscopy time (median: 15.2 vs. 8.9 seconds, P<0.001), fluoroscopy DAP (median: 84.4 vs. 45.2, P<0.001), fluoroscopy-digital radiography combined DAP (median: 246 vs. 156.5, P=0.003), and AK (median: 959 vs. 612.9, P=0.001). No significant differences were observed in patient demographics, tumor localization, or treatment approach between the groups.

Conclusions: TRA is associated with higher radiation exposure compared to TFA in TACE and TARE procedures. While TRA offers procedural benefits, further research is needed to optimize techniques and reduce radiation risks, particularly in interventional radiology.

Keywords

Transarterial radioembolization, transarterial chemoembolization, transfemoral access, transradial access, radiation dose

Ethical Statement

All procedures conducted in studies involving human participants complied with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee, as well as the 1964 Helsinki Declaration and its subsequent amendments or equivalent ethical guidelines. The local ethics committee (Acibadem Mehmet Ali Aydinlar University) approved this retrospective study and waived the requirement for informed consent for the retrospective analysis of anonymized medical data (Decision number: 2024-14/576 and date: 19.09.2024).

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