Radiation dose estimates in DBT compared with FFDM: A brief analysis

Breast cancer is reported as the second most common cancer in the world. The estimate for 2018 is 59 700 new cases of breast cancer (Bray F. et al., Cancer. J. Clin., 68 (2018) 394). The distribution of the incidence of breast cancer is high especially in industrialized countries, followed by developing countries. The development of effective screening programs allows to lead the survival to 84% in developed countries. Early diagnosis, in the context of these programs, is carried out using X-rays and the equipment used for this purpose is constantly updated to improve the detection capability for the same dose delivered. Nowadays, next to full-field digital mammography (FFDM), 3D technology is available on modern mammography devices, such as Digital Breast Tomosynthesis (DBT). Some studies show that the use of DBT, combined with FFDM, or as a stand-alone technology, allows for a better diagnostic performance than FFDM alone (Skaane P. et al., Radiology, 267 (2013) 47; Ciatto S. et al., Lancet Oncol., 14 (2013) 583). In addition to the diagnostic capacity, of course, the dose to the population participating in the screening programs must also be investigated. Considering that the different manufacturers of digital mammography systems use different technologies to reconstruct pseudo-3D images, it is essential to check the radiation dose of various equipment available in healthcare facilities. The purpose of this work is to verify the radiation dose for a specific mammography unit used in both FFDM and DBT procedures.