Pilot study of patient and phantom breast dose measurements in Bulgaria

• Authors: Simona Avramova-Cholakova , Jenia Vassileva
• Languages of publication: EN

Abstracts

EN

A pilot study of breast dose measurements on two mammography units in Bulgaria was conducted. The mean glandular doses (MGDs) to samples of approximately 60 women per unit were measured. MGD with a standard PMMA phantom was measured as well. The MGDs were calculated according to the European protocol on dosimetry in mammography as well as to the European protocol for the quality control of the physical and technical aspects of mammography screening. The measured women's MGDs were divided into three groups depending on the compressed breast thicknesses. The results for the group of thicknesses in the interval 40-60 mm were compared with the results from the measurements on the standard 45 mm PMMA phantom. Some differences were found which could be due to errors in breast thickness measurements, differences in breast and phantom densities and other factors. A standardized procedure was elaborated for patient dose measurement and calculation both from patient and phantom studies.

Keywords

EN

breast; mean glandular dose; phantom; mammography; conversion factor

• Publisher: Versita
• Journal: Polish Journal of Medical Physics And Engineering
• Year: 2008
• Volume: 14
• Issue: 1
• Pages: 21-32

Dates

published

1 - 1 - 2008

online

29 - 12 - 2008

Contributors

author

Simona Avramova-Cholakova

• National Centre of Radiobiology and Radiation Protection, Sofia, Bulgaria

author

Jenia Vassileva

• National Centre of Radiobiology and Radiation Protection, Sofia, Bulgaria

References

• Avramova-Cholakova S, Vassileva J, Borisova R, Atanasova I. An estimate of the influence of the measurement procedure on patient and phantom doses in breast imaging. Rad Prot Dosim [Internet]. 2008 Apr 21 [cited 2008 May]; 129(1-3): 150-154. Available from: http://rpd.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/129/1-3/150 doi: 10.1093/rpd/ncn139 [Crossref]
• Boone JM. Glandular breast dose for monoenergetic and high-energy X-ray beams: Monte Carlo assessment. Radiology. 1990; 213: 23-27.
• Boone JM. Normalized glandular dose (DgN) coefficients for arbitrary X-ray spectra in mammography: computer fit values of Monte-Carlo derived data. Med Phys. 2002; 29(5): 869-875.[PubMed][Crossref]
• Burch A, Goodman DA. A pilot survey of radiation doses received in the United Kingdom Breast screening programme. Br J Radiol. 1998; 71: 517-527.
• Cranley K, Gilmore B, Fogarty G, Desponds L. Catalogue of diagnostic X-ray spectra and other data. Electronic Version prepared by D Sutton. Institute of Physics and Engineering in Medicine Report No. 78; 1997.
• Dance DR. Monte Carlo calculation of conversion factors for the estimation of mean glandular breast dose. Phys Med Biol. 1990; 35: 1211-1219.
• Dance DR, Skinner CL, Young KC, Beckett JR, Kotre CJ. Additional factors for the estimation of mean glandular breast dose using the UK mammography dosimetry protocol. Phys Med Biol. 2000; 45: 3225-3240.[WoS]
• Danon S, Valerianova Z, Ivanova T. Cancer incidence in Bulgaria 2004. Sofia (Bulgaria): Bulgarian National Cancer Registry; 2007. 82 p. Volume XV. Available also from: http://www.onco-bg.com/str/Bulgaria2004.pdf
• Zoetelief J, Fitzgerald M, Leitz W, Sabel M. European protocol on dosimetry in mammography. Luxembourg: European Commission; 1996 Dec. 76 p. EUR 16263. English, French, German. ISBN: 9789282772898.
• Council Directive 97/43/EURATOM of 30 June 1997 on health protection of individuals against the dangers of ionizing radiation in relation to medical exposure, and repealing Directive 84/466/Euratom. OJ L. 1997 Jul 9; 180: 22-27, 9.7.1997.
• European guidelines for quality assurance in mammography screening. 3rd ed. Luxembourg: European Communities; 2001. Chapter 3, European protocol for the quality control of the physical and technical aspects of mammography screening; p. 67-126.
• Perry N, Broeders M, de Wolf C, Tornberg S, Holland R, von Karsa L., editors. European guidelines for quality assurance in breast cancer screening and diagnosis. 4th ed. Luxemburg; European Communities; 2006. Chapter 2, European protocol for the quality control of the physical and technical aspects of mammography screening; p. 57-104.
• Faulkner K, Cranley K. An investigation into variations in the estimation of mean glandular dose in mammography. Rad Prot Dosim. 1995; 57(1-4): 405-407.
• Institute of Physics and Engineering in Medicine. The commissioning and routine testing of mammographic X-ray systems. York: IPEM; 2005. 156 p. IPEM Report 89. ISBN: 1903613213.
• International Atomic Energy Agency. Dosimetry in diagnostic radiology: an international code of practice. Vienna: IAEA; 2007. 359 p. Technical Reports Series No. 457. ISBN: 9201154062.
• International Commission on Radiation Units and Measurements. Patient dosimetry for X rays used in medical imaging: ICRU Report, No 74. J ICRU. 2005; 5(2): 1-113.
• Ministry of Health of Republic of Bulgaria. [Ordinance No. 30/31.10.2005 for Protection of Individuals at Medical Exposure]. Sofia: 2005. State Gazette. 2005 Nov 15; 91: 29. Bulgarian.
• Smans K, Bosmans H, Xiao M, Carton AK, Marchal G. Towards a proposition of a diagnostic (dose) reference level for mammographic acquisitions in breast screening measurements in Belgium. Rad Prot Dosim. 2006; 117(1-3): 321-326.
• Wu X, Barnes G, Tucker D. Spectral dependence of glandular tissue dose in screen-film mammography. Radiology. 1991; 179: 143-148.
• Wu X, Gingold EL, Barnes GT, Tucker DM. Normalized average glandular dose in Molibdenum target - Rhodium filter and Rhodium target - Rhodium filter mammography. Radiology. 1994; 193: 83-89.
• Young KC, Burch A. Radiation doses received in the UK Breast Screening Programme in 1997 and 1998. Br J Radiol. 2000; 73: 278-287.

Identifiers

DOI

10.2478/v10013-008-0003-3