Value of increasing film processing time to reduce radiation dose during mammography

Journal Article · Sat Dec 01 00:00:00 EST 1990 · AJR, American Journal of Roentgenology; (USA)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2214/ajr.155.6.2122664· OSTI ID:6322086

Skubic, S E; Yagan, R; Oravec, D; Shah, Z ^[1]

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1. MetroHealth Medical Center/Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH (USA)

We systematically tested the effects on radiation dose and image quality of increasing the mammographic film processing time from the standard 90 sec to 3 min. Hurter and Driffield curves were obtained for a Kodak Min-R-OM1-SO177 screen-film combination processed with Kodak chemistry. Image contrast and radiation dose were measured for two tissue-equivalent breast phantoms. We also compared sequential pairs of mammograms, one processed at 90 sec and one at 3 min, from 44 patients on the basis of nine categories of image quality. Increased processing time reduced breast radiation dose by 30%, increased contrast by 11%, and produced slight overall gains in image quality. Simple modifications can convert a 90-sec processor to a 3-min unit. We recommend that implementation of extended processing be considered, especially by those centers that obtain a large number of screening mammograms. Three-minute film processing can reduce breast radiation dose by 30% and increase contrast by 11% without compromising image quality.

• OSTI ID: 6322086
• Journal Information: AJR, American Journal of Roentgenology; (USA), Vol. 155:6; ISSN 0361-803X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE
61 RADIATION PROTECTION AND DOSIMETRY
BIOMEDICAL RADIOGRAPHY
QUALITY CONTROL
MAMMARY GLANDS
RADIATION DOSES
PATIENTS
PHANTOMS
RECOMMENDATIONS
TISSUE-EQUIVALENT MATERIALS
BODY
CONTROL
DIAGNOSTIC TECHNIQUES
DOSES
GLANDS
MATERIALS
MEDICINE
MOCKUP
NUCLEAR MEDICINE
ORGANS
RADIOLOGY
STRUCTURAL MODELS
550602* - Medicine- External Radiation in Diagnostics- (1980-)
655003 - Medical Physics- Dosimetry