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UNIVERSITY OF BUCHAREST
FACULTY OF PHYSICS Guest
2024-11-23 18:15 |
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Conference: Bucharest University Faculty of Physics 2009 Meeting
Section: Biophysics; Medical Physics
Title:
Assessing Image Quality and Estimating the Glandular Average Dose in Some Mammography Labs
Authors:
Daniela Mossang, Ioana Sorop, Elena Dadulescu
Affiliation:
Laboratory for the Hygiene of Ionizing Radiations, Public Health Authority of Dolj Couny, Romania
E-mail
liricv@yahoo.com
Keywords:
mammography, breast cancer, assurance and quality control, average glandular dose
Abstract:
Mammography is the safest method of detecting breast cancer but, at the same time, the most exacting radiological examination which implies getting high quality images and a minimum dose per breast. This type of examination requires a special equipment and technique for the following reasons: a similarity of X-rays attenuating factors in the breast structure, an undetectable difference between the soft tissue density of the normal breast and of the sick breast, the importance of detecting minute details such as micro-calcifications. The present study was carried out in six mammography laboratories, from which only one has partially implemented a programme of quality control. There were evaluated the phantom image, film contrast, background optical density, density difference, radiation beam quality, and the entrance surface air kerma was measured. The glandular average dose was estimated for the standard breast using the conversion coefficients corresponding to the used target-filter combination, and the values were determined for the radiation beam quality. Compared to the reference lab, all the other five labs failed all the tests, obtaining unacceptable results both for the phantom image and for the contrast, for the background optical density and density difference. The average glandular doses estimated for the standard breast varied between 1.4 and 7.2 mSv, being in four out of the six hospitals, statistically significant (p<0.001), lower or higher than those currently accepted by international authorities (3mSv). The increasing number of breast cancer, of the equipments and of the frequency of this type of investigation renders necessary the implementation of quality checking programmes. Such simple quality control procedures will improve the chances of accurate diagnosis and reduce the probability of false negatives. This is particularly important for early detection and treatment of breast cancer which is the highest type of cancer among females.
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