LATIN AMERICAN IMAGE QUALITY SURVEY IN DIGITAL MAMMOGRAPHY STUDIES

Area of Science:

• Medical Physics
• Radiological Protection
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) regional program TSA3 focuses on patient protection in medical exposures.
• Latin American countries participated in evaluating digital mammography equipment performance and compliance.
• Previous assessments highlighted the need for standardized quality control in mammography across the region.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the image quality and mean glandular doses of digital mammography equipment in Latin America.
• To assess the performance and compliance of this equipment with international recommendations.
• To identify common challenges and areas for improvement in digital mammography practices.

Main Methods:

• Twenty-four institutions across seven Latin American countries participated in the study.
• Evaluation included measurements of Signal Difference to Noise Ratio (SDNR) for image quality.
• Mean Glandular Dose (MGD) was assessed to ensure patient radiation safety.

Main Results:

• Computed Radiography (CR) systems showed poor compliance with image quality tolerances.
• Full-Field Digital Mammography (FFDM) equipment generally yielded better results than CR.
• The majority of participating units reported mean glandular doses below acceptable levels.

Conclusions:

• Significant challenges exist in working with digital mammography images and a lack of region-specific training for medical physicists.
• Image quality remains a primary concern, with many systems not meeting international recommendations.
• Optimization processes must carefully balance dose reduction with the need for early cancer detection.