Quality and radiation doses in mammograms: Brazil sampling data

Abstract

The Brazilian Ministry of Health at 453/98 directive requires the implementation of the QAP and settles doses reference values (10 mGy for a 4.5 cm breast) and requirements for the radiological exams practices. The Brazilian College of Radiology (Colegio Brasileiro de Radiologia - CBR) coordinates a quality program certification issuing a quality accreditation certificate to services that fulfill the quality requirements established in the current legislation . The purpose of this work is to verify the image quality criteria observance and compare the skin entrance dose and glandular doses with the national and international requirements. The data related to mammograms quality and doses evaluations were collected in 11 institutions of five States during 2007 and 2008. The skin entrance doses and the glandular average doses were estimated. The image quality was verified based on the criteria established by European Community Guide. The results showed a large dispersion for the glandular doses values. The reference values were 3.27mGy (CC incidence) and 3.36 mGy (MLO incidence).The skin entrance dose values were bellow the reference value established by the Brazilian Ministry of Health for all the institutions, although not all the quality criteria have been fulfilled. Besides the regions difficulties the quality program of CBR associated to AQP requirements of 453/98 directive have been accomplished and good results have been collected in Brazil. © 2009 Springer-Verlag.