INSTITUTIONAL BREAST DOSES IN DIGITAL MAMMOGRAPHY

Area of Science:

• Radiological Physics
• Medical Imaging
• Radiation Dosimetry

Background:

• Screening mammography is crucial for early breast cancer detection.
• Accurate assessment of radiation dose is essential for patient safety and quality assurance.
• Variability in breast dose can arise from patient characteristics and imaging parameters.

Purpose of the Study:

• To survey breast dose in digital screening mammography.
• To establish institutional dose levels.
• To compare these doses with established benchmarks and analyze influencing factors.

Main Methods:

• A cohort of 300 women aged 40-80 underwent digital mammography.
• Data collected included patient characteristics (age, BMI), technical parameters (kVp, mAs, anode/filter), projection (CC, MLO), compressed breast thickness (CBT), compression force, entrance surface dose (ESD), and average glandular dose (AGD).
• Statistical analysis investigated the impact of parameters on ESD and AGD; dose distributions were analyzed using mean, median, 75th, and 95th percentiles.

Main Results:

• Mean/median AGD values ranged from 1.13 to 1.32 mGy across projections and CBT ranges.
• Mean/median ESD values ranged from 4.29 to 5.56 mGy.
• Tube voltage, tube load, patient age, and CBT significantly influenced radiation dose values. The 95th percentile AGD was 1.78 mGy.

Conclusions:

• Established institutional breast doses in digital mammography are comparable to or lower than previous study values.
• Key parameters like tube voltage, tube load, patient age, and compressed breast thickness significantly impact radiation dose.
• This study provides valuable data for optimizing radiation safety in screening mammography.