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Clinical Imaging of Microwave Mammography
Published on: November 14, 2025
418
Calibrated breast density methods for full field digital mammography: a system for serial quality control and
B Lu1, A M Smallwood1, T A Sellers1
1Department of Cancer Epidemiology, Division of Population Science, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, Florida 33612.
Medical Physics
|February 6, 2015
Summary
This study introduces a new method for maintaining accurate breast density measurements using full field digital mammography (FFDM) calibration. Serial monitoring and updating of calibration curves reduce the need for extensive phantom imaging, improving efficiency.
Area of Science:
- Medical Imaging
- Radiology
- Biomedical Engineering
Background:
- Accurate breast density measurements are crucial for mammography.
- Full field digital mammography (FFDM) requires precise calibration for reliable results.
- Establishing baseline (BL) calibration curves involves extensive phantom imaging.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and evaluate a system for calibrated breast density measurements using FFDM.
- To establish serial monitoring, BL updating, and cross-calibration techniques for FFDM units.
- To reduce the need for repeated, extensive baseline phantom imaging.
Main Methods:
- Established BL curves for Hologic Selenia FFDM units.
- Acquired biweekly serial phantom images with varying breast tissue equivalent (BTE) compositions.
- Monitored calibration accuracy using the cumulative sum (Cusum) technique and updated BL curves when accuracy degraded beyond ±4 standardized units.
Main Results:
- Calibration accuracy can degrade over time, influenced by acquisition technique and phantom height.
- Biweekly acquisition of approximately 16 phantom images per FFDM unit is sufficient for serial monitoring, BL updating, and cross-calibration.
- Serial calibration accuracy was maintained within ±4 standardized units using BL updating.
- BL updating allows calibration datasets to be translated across similar FFDM units.
Conclusions:
- A methodology for monitoring and maintaining serial calibration accuracy in breast density measurements was evaluated.
- Calibration datasets can be efficiently updated over time and generalized across similar FFDM units.
- Further evaluation with patient mammograms is needed for complete validation.
