Diagnostic reference levels for mammography in BreastScreen Queensland

Area of Science:

• Medical Imaging
• Radiological Protection
• Health Physics

Background:

• Diagnostic reference levels (DRLs) are crucial for optimizing radiation exposure in medical imaging.
• Currently, Australia lacks established DRLs for mammography procedures.
• BreastScreen Queensland data provides a basis for developing national guidelines.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze mammography radiation doses within BreastScreen Queensland.
• To propose program-based Diagnostic Reference Levels (DRLs) for Australian mammography facilities.
• To establish benchmarks for radiation exposure optimization in breast cancer screening.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of radiation dose data from mammography examinations.
• Comparison of doses between digital radiography (DR) and computed radiography (CR) systems.
• Calculation of proposed DRLs based on collected Australian data.

Main Results:

• Mammography radiation doses were analyzed for a large Australian screening program.
• Proposed DRLs are 1.1 mGy for digital radiography mammography.
• Proposed DRLs are 1.4 mGy for computed radiography mammography.

Conclusions:

• The proposed DRLs provide essential benchmarks for mammography quality assurance in Australia.
• Implementation of these DRLs will aid in optimizing patient radiation doses.
• This study addresses the need for national DRLs in mammography, enhancing radiological safety.