Average absorbed breast dose in mammography: a new possible dose index matching the requirements of the European Directive 2013/59/EURATOM
Due to the new European Directive 2013/59/EURATOM that requires that patients are informed about the risk associated with ionising radiation and that detailed information on patient exposure is included in the radiological report, this study proposed a new mammography dose index consistent with the average glandular dose (AGD). A new equation for calculating the average absorbed breast dose (2ABD) was developed and the results of the comparison between 2ABD and AGD appeared to be consistent within the uncertainties, thus concluding that 2ABD is easily evaluable for each mammogram from the acquisition parameters and can be proposed as a new suitable dose index.
Key points:
• A new dosimetric quantity (average absorbed breast dose [2ABD]) is presented
• 2ABD is a physics quantity directly measurable
• 2ABD is consistent with average glandular dose (reference metrics)
• 2ABD can be easily calculated and thus reported in the mammographic radiological report
• 2ABD matches the requirements of the new European Directive 2013/59/Euratom
Authors: Antonio C. Traino, Chiara Sottocornola, Patrizio Barca, Carolina Marini, Giacomo Aringhieri, Davide Caramella and M. Evelina Fantacci