Impact of digitalization of mammographic units on average glandular doses in the Flemish Breast Cancer Screening Program

The impact of digitalization on the average glandular doses in 49 mammographic units participating in the Flemish Breast Cancer Screening Program was studied. Screen-film was changed to direct digital radiography and computed radiography in 25 and 24 departments respectively. Average glandular doses were calculated before and after digitalization for different PMMA-phantom thicknesses and for groups of 50 successive patients. For the transition from screen-film to computed radiography both phantom and patient dose data show a significant increase of dose with digitalization. For the transition from screen-film to direct digital radiography the evolution of the average glandular dose depends on the phantom thickness. For 20mm PMMA a significant increase in dose was found, for 45mm and 70mm PMMA there was a significant decrease in dose. The median average glandular dose of the patient dosimetry showed a smaller but significant decrease.The impact of digitalization on the average glandular doses in 49 mammographic units participating in the Flemish Breast Cancer Screening Program was studied. Screen-film was changed to direct digital radiography and computed radiography in 25 and 24 departments respectively. Average glandular doses were calculated before and after digitalization for different PMMA-phantom thicknesses and for groups of 50 successive patients. For the transition from screen-film to computed radiography both phantom and patient dose data show a significant increase of dose with digitalization. For the transition from screen-film to direct digital radiography the evolution of the average glandular dose depends on the phantom thickness. For 20mm PMMA a significant increase in dose was found, for 45mm and 70mm PMMA there was a significant decrease in dose. The median average glandular dose of the patient dosimetry showed a smaller but significant decrease.C