Nodule detection in digital chest radiography: introduction to the RADIUS chest trial

Most digital radiographic systems of today have wide latitude and are hence able to provide images with a small constraint on dose level. This opens up for an unprejudiced dose optimisation. However, in order to succeed in the optimisation task, good knowledge of the imaging and detection processes is needed. As a part of the European-wide research project 'unification of physical and clinical requirements for medical X-ray imaging'-governed by the Radiological Imaging Unification Strategies (RADIUS) Group-a major image quality trial was conducted by members of the group. The RADIUS chest trial was focused on the detection of lung nodules in digital chest radiography with the aims of determining to what extent (1) the detection of a nodule is dependent on its location, (2) the system noise disturbs the detection of lung nodules, (3) the anatomical noise disturbs the detection of lung nodules and (4) the image background and anatomical background act as pure noise for the detection of lung nodules. The purpose of the present paper is to give an introduction to the trial and describe the framework and set-up of the investigation.