Evaluation of the mean glandular dose (MGD) for phantoms with different glandularity/adipose tissue ratios using MgB4O7:Dy,Na dosimeters in mammography

Abstract

This study focuses on the use of MgB4O7:Dy,Na dosimeters in mammography measurements. The reproducibility measurement and dose-response curves were studied for the characterization of dosimeters. Next, variation in entrance surface dose (ESD) and mean glandular dose (MGD) was investigated according to different glandularity/adipose tissue ratios of 30%/70%, 50%/50% and 70%/30% for fixed anode and variable filter combinations (Mo/Mo, Mo/Rh) using BR-12 phantoms with thicknesses from 2 to 6 cm. The ESD and MGD values increased at varying rates with increasing phantom thicknesses and glandularity ratios. The increase rate in MGD is ∼30% for both Mo/Mo and Mo/Rh for the difference between (70%/30%) and (50%/50%), considering the thickness of 6 cm. On the other hand, the MGD value obtained for a glandular ratio of 70%/30% at 6 cm for Mo/Mo is ∼40% higher than that for Mo/Rh. A proportional comparison of MGD differences obtained according to glandularity and filter changes may provide valuable contributions to the literature. Within this study, it was shown that MgB4O7:Dy,Na dosimeters can be used as new alternative dosimeters in the field of mammography to perform ESD and MGD measurements. In further studies, MgB4O7:Dy,Na dosimeters can be used to determine the various organ doses, such as eye and thyroid, resulting from the scattered radiation dose using rando phantoms.