Quality control for digital mammography: part II. Recommendations from the ACRIN DMIST trial.
The Digital Mammography Imaging Screening Trial (DMIST), conducted under the auspices of the American College of Radiology Imaging Network (ACRIN), is a clinical trial designed to compare the accuracy of digital versus screen-film mammography in a screening population [E. Pisano et al., ACRIN 6652-Digital vs. Screen-Film Mammography, ACRIN (2001)]. Part I of this work described the Quality Control program developed to ensure consistency and optimal operation of the digital equipment. For many of the tests, there were no failures during the 24 months imaging was performed in DMIST. When systems failed, they generally did so suddenly rather than through gradual deterioration of performance. In this part, the utility and effectiveness of those tests are considered. This suggests that after verification of proper operation, routine extensive testing would be of minimal value. A recommended set of tests is presented including additional and improved tests, which we believe meet the intent and spirit of the Mammography Quality Standards Act regulations to ensure that full-field digital mammography systems are functioning correctly, and consistently producing mammograms of excellent image quality.
Yaffe
Martin J
MJ
Imaging Research Program, Sunnybrook and Women's College Health Sciences Centre, 2075 Bayview Avenue, Toronto, Ontario M4N 3M5, Canada.
Bloomquist
Aili K
AK
Mawdsley
Gordon E
GE
Pisano
Etta D
ED
Hendrick
R Edward
RE
Fajardo
Laurie L
LL
Boone
John M
JM
Kanal
Kalpana
K
Mahesh
Mahadevappa
M
Fleischman
Richard C
RC
Och
Joseph
J
Williams
Mark B
MB
Beideck
Daniel J
DJ
Maidment
Andrew D A
AD
D001940:Breast / Q000473:pathology*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D003955:Diagnostic Tests, Routine / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D006287:Health Planning Guidelines; D006801:Humans; D008327:Mammography / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D019047:Phantoms, Imaging; D011786:Quality Control; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D011856:Radiographic Image Enhancement / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012815:Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000295:instrumentation*; D014963:X-Ray Intensifying Screens