Abstract
Developments in digital mammography equipment have been very fast: the first digital mammography system was introduced in 1999, and new systems using different physical principles have since emerged and major improvements in equipment have occurred. These improvements have solved some important quality issues that were present in some early digital mammography systems. However, image quality problems still occur relatively frequent and technical quality control is important to recognize and quantify them. Both the acceptance/6-monthly quality control tests and (at least) weekly quality control as recommended in the European Guidelines are therefore essential for high-quality mammography. In the Dutch screening programme, technical quality control is performed against the Dutch Guidelines, which are very similar to the European Guidelines for Quality Assurance in Breast Cancer Screening and Diagnosis. However, some additional tests are performed: a more extensive noise evaluation and a more precise image quality evaluation. These might be included in an update of the European Guidelines. In this presentation, some major failures, which have occurred recently, will be shown: significant additional noise (electronic and structural noise), disturbing artefacts, insufficient image quality, major ghosting, and so on. Recently the European Reference Organisation for Quality Assured Breast Screening and Diagnostic Services (Euref) started a new project to update the European Guidelines, and is performing type testing in which it is determined whether a system is able to pass the Guidelines. When buying new mammography equipment, this type testing (by Euref) might be taken into account.
Highlights
Breast-sparing oncoplastic procedures (BSOP) offer a predictive marker guiding use of anti-oestrogen therapy, and radical new alternative to mastectomy and conventional breast- expression profiling appears to select patients more or less likely to conserving surgery in early breast cancer treatment
The aim was to document attitudes to male radiographers and the effect on the programme performance parameters through a postal questionnaire completed by 85.8% of a random sample of 2,000 women recently screened by BreastCheck
Nine per cent would not have proceeded if the radiographer was male; 17.5% agreed that ‘If there were male radiographers I would not return for another screening appointment’; and 18.3% were unsure
Summary
Breast-sparing oncoplastic procedures (BSOP) offer a predictive marker guiding use of anti-oestrogen therapy, and radical new alternative to mastectomy and conventional breast- expression profiling appears to select patients more or less likely to conserving surgery in early breast cancer treatment. We have compared the results of screening with analogue and digital technology over our first 2 years, in terms of recall rates, cancer detection rates and positive predictive value, and found no overall significant difference in any of these parameters. Abnormalities are graded as A, B or C at consensus by the radiologists and reporting radiographers depending upon the mammographic likelihood of cancer and biopsy This means that patients can be allocated to one of our three assessment clinics and at specific times within those clinics to facilitate workflow. Methods A retrospective analysis of all breast cancer patients with recurrence who had completed 5 years of follow-up was performed. Infection control is not routinely included in the quality assurance process of all units
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