Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Diagnostic reference levels for mammography in BreastScreen Queensland

  • Technical Paper
  • Published:
Australasian Physical & Engineering Sciences in Medicine Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Diagnostic reference levels assist in the optimisation of radiation exposure parameters within a medical imaging facility. As no Australian DRLs currently exist, radiation doses from mammography in BreastScreen Queensland are analysed. Program-based DRLs of 1.1 and 1.4 mGy are proposed for digital radiography and computed radiography mammography systems, respectively.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. International Commission on Radiological Protection (1990) 1990 Recommendations of the International Commission on Radiological Protection, ICRP Publication 60. Ann ICRP 21(1–3)

    Google Scholar 

  2. International Commission on Radiological Protection (1996) Radiological protection and safety in medicine, ICRP Publication 73. Ann ICRP 26(2)

  3. Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (2008) Code of Practice Radiation protection in the medical applications of ionizing radiation, Radiation Protection Series No. 14. http://www.arpansa.gov.au/pubs/rps/rps14.pdf. Accessed 15 December 2010

  4. Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (2008) Safety Guide Radiation protection in diagnostic and interventional radiology, Radiation Protection Series No. 14.1. http://www.arpansa.gov.au/pubs/rps/rps14_1.pdf. Accessed 15 December 2010

  5. International Commission on Radiation Units and Measurements (2005) Patient dosimetry for X-rays used in medical imaging, ICRU Report 74. J ICRU 5(2)

  6. American College of Radiology (2010), Mammography accreditation program requirements. http://www.acr.org/accreditation/mammography/overview/overview.aspx. Accessed 15 December 2010

  7. US Food and Drug Administration (2004) Mammography Quality Standards Act (MQSA) http://www.fda.gov/downloads/Radiation-EmittingProducts/MammographyQualityStandardsActandProgram/Regulations/ucm110849.pdf. Accessed 15 December 2010

  8. BreastScreen Australia (2008) National Accreditation Standards. http://www.health.gov.au/internet/screening/publishing.nsf/Content/br-accreditation/$File/standards.pdf. Accessed 15 December 2010

  9. The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Radiologists, Mammography quality assurance program, http://www.ranzcr.edu.au/quality-a-safety/radiology/practice-quality-activities/mqap. Accessed 15 December 2010

  10. Stanton L, Villafana T, Day JL, Lightfoot DA (1984) Dosage evaluation in mammography. Radiology 150:577–584

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Wu X, Barnes GT, Tucker DM (1991) Spectral dependence of glandular tissue dose in screen-film mammography. Radiology 179:143–148

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Wu X, Gingold EL, Barnes GT, Tucker DM (1994) Normalized average glandular dose in molybdenum target–rhodium filter and rhodium target–rhodium filter mammography. Radiology 193:83–89

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. DgN calculation Boone Model.xls spreadsheet provided by John CP Heggie (john.heggie@bigpond.com) 11 January 2010

  14. Boone JM, Fewell TR, Jennings RJ (1997) Molybdenum, rhodium, and tungsten anode spectral models using interpolating polynomials with application to mammography. Med Phys 24:1863–1874

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Boone JM (2002) Normalized glandular dose (DgN) coefficients for arbitrary X-ray spectra in mammography: computer-fit values of Monte Carlo derived data. Med Phys 29:869–875

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. McLean ID, Heggie JCP, Herley J, Thomson FJ, Grewal RK (2009) Interim recommendations for a digital mammography quality assurance program v2.0 https://www.acpsem.org.au/index.php/radiologydocuments/doc_details/144-digital-mammography-qa-20-2009. Accessed on 15 December 2010

  17. Commonwealth of Australia National Occupational Health & Safety Commission and Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (2002) Recommendations for limiting exposure to ionizing radiation (1995) (Guidance note [NOHSC:3022(1995)]) and National standard for limiting occupational exposure to ionizing radiation [NOHSC:1013(1995)], Radiation Protection Series Publication No. 1. http://www.arpansa.gov.au/pubs/rps/rps1.pdf. Accessed 15 December 2010

  18. The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Radiologists (2002) Mammography quality control manual. RANZCR, Sydney

  19. Conference of Radiation Control Program Directors Inc (2003) Patient exposure and dose guide—2003, CRCPD Publication E-03-2. http://www.crcpd.org/Pubs/ESERePublishedApr03.pdf. Accessed 15 December 2010

  20. National Radiation Laboratory (2010) Code of safe practice for the use of X-rays in medical diagnosis, NRL C5 version 1.3. http://www.nrl.moh.govt.nz/regulatory/c5.pdf. Accessed 15 December 2010

  21. European Commission (1999) Guidance on diagnostic reference levels (DRLs) for medical exposures, Radiation Protection 109. http://ec.europa.eu/energy/nuclear/radiation_protection/doc/publication/109_en.pdf. Accessed 15 December 2010

  22. International Atomic Energy Agency (1996) International basic safety standards for protection against ionizing radiation and for the safety of radiation sources, Safety Series no. 115. IAEA, Vienna

    Google Scholar 

  23. UK Department of Health (2007) Guidance on the establishment and use of “diagnostic reference levels” (DRLs) as the term is applied in the ionising radiation (medical exposure) regulations 2000. http://www.dh.gov.uk/prod_consum_dh/groups/dh_digitalassets/@dh/@en/documents/digitalasset/dh_074099.pdf. Accessed on 14 December 2010

  24. Spelic DC, Kaczmarek RV, Hilohi M, Belella S (2007) United States radiological health activities: inspection results of mammography facilities, Biomed Imaging Interv J 3(2):e35. www.biij.org/2007/2/e35/e35.pdf

Download references

Acknowledgments

The authors acknowledge financial support from BreastScreen Queensland and access to their equipment in acquiring the data presented in this paper. The authors would also like to thank one of the manuscript reviewers for referring us to reference 24.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Biomedical Technology Services, 450 Gregory Terrace, Fortitude Valley, QLD, 4006, Australia

    David L. Thiele, Mike Irvine, David Want & Michael Bernardo

Authors
  1. David L. Thiele
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Mike Irvine
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. David Want
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Michael Bernardo
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to David L. Thiele.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Thiele, D.L., Irvine, M., Want, D. et al. Diagnostic reference levels for mammography in BreastScreen Queensland. Australas Phys Eng Sci Med 34, 415–418 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13246-011-0078-0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13246-011-0078-0

Keywords

Search

Navigation