iaea human health series publications - SEDIM

An effective QA programme is necessary to ensure that all these elements remain in place over time. This isespecially the case with the added technical complexity of digital imaging. The part of this programme that isconcerned with technical aspects is referred to as quality control (QC).This publication is intended to provide a full review of QA issues for those Member States that are now usingdigital mammography or that are assessing the implications of using digital mammography. Importantly, it containsa standardized framework for QC for digital mammography that can be used in Member States. It is intended toprovide practical tests to help ensure high quality digital mammography. To be feasible in areas where resourcesmay be limited, the tests are designed to be carried out with the simplest test equipment possible.This publication is current as of 2011, but there will be many improvements and changes in equipment in thefuture. As the frequencies of tests and tolerance ranges will probably also change as more experience is gained, itwould always be prudent to check the latest versions of specific tables and charts in this publication, which will beposted on the IAEA web site at: http://humanhealth.iaea.org. Other supporting documentation and tutorial materialswill also be posted on the site.1.3. PHILOSOPHYSeveral well established QC programmes for screen film mammography currently exist in differentjurisdictions [4–7], and recently programmes have been developed for digital mammography [8–13]. Theseprogrammes are comprehensive and reflect the resources available in those countries. The IAEA recognizes thedifferent resources and needs of Member States, and has developed specific programmes for individual areas. Thepresent publication attempts to incorporate the most important components of the existing digital QA programmesin a harmonized manner [14] to be useful to a broad range of Member States. It has been developed with thephilosophy that if digital mammography is to be performed, it must be of high quality to allow the earliest detectionof cancers. In some areas, resources, both technological and human, are limited; therefore, this publication has alsobeen developed with practicality in mind.2