Technical aspects of quality assurance in mammography: Preliminary results from Serbia

Abstract

Mammography is the method of choice for early detection of breast cancer. In Serbia, mammography is performed only clinically, although there is a plan to introduce mammography as a screening method. Currently, there are 60 mammographic units in practice, resulting in 70 000 mammographies annually. The survey was conducted in order to investigate mammographic practice in Serbia, identify weak points and suggest appropriate corrective measures. Basic technical parameters of the X-ray tube and generator, processing, image quality, and patient doses in 20 mammographic units were studied. The survey demonstrated considerable variations in technical parameters that affect image quality, and patients doses. Patient dose levels, in terms of the mean glandular dose, were fairly consistent with current European reference levels: 1.8 (0.40-4.3) mGy. However, due to inappropriate image receptors, image processing and viewing conditions and automatic exposure control adjustment, suboptimal image quality was a common finding. Simple improvements of the radiographic technique and maintenance procedure, along with the rigid implementation of the quality control procedure and training of the operating staff, would improve the performance levels of mammographic practice in Serbia, i. e. result in the production of high quality images with a reasonably low radiation risk to patients

Calidad de las imágenes, la lectura y el servicio de mamografía en cuatro centros de imagenología de Manizales, Colombia

“…En el reporte "Garantía de calidad de los servicios de mamografía: normas básicas para América Latina y el Caribe" (3), la Organización Panamericana de la Salud (OPS) y la Organización Mundial de la Salud (OMS) establecieron que la mamografía es el estudio de imagenología más eficiente para la tamización del cáncer de mama, dada su capacidad para detectar lesiones en las fases preclínicas. Sin embargo, la mamografía es una de las exploraciones radiológicas más exigentes debido, entre otros aspectos, a la alta resolución, el contraste y el rango dinámico que requiere (5). Esto ha suscitado polémicas debido al riesgo que la irradiación implica para las mujeres asintomáticas, así como por los falsos positivos y falsos negativos que pueden producirse (6).…”

The influence of gamma radiation on polarization mode dispersion of fibers applied in communications

“…The mod i fi ca tion of PMD due to nu clear ra di a tion is just a part of the gen eral in ves ti ga tion of the in flu ence of nu clear ra di a tion on ma te ri als, de vices, com po nents, bi o log i cal mea sure ments, di ag nos tics, and ther apy [11][12][13][14][15][16].…”

Patient doses in computed tomography: An assessment of local diagnostic reference levels in a large teaching hospital

“…Al though many stud ies re lated to pa tient doses were pub lished [16][17][18], a sys tem atic data col lec tion for pa tient ex po sure in CT has never been car ried out in Ser bia. There fore, there are no na tional DRL for patient doses in CT.…”