MEDRAD QUIZ 4 MAMMO Flashcards
What target is best for dense breast tissue and why?
Rhodium, because it’s a higher atomic number, so able to penetrate the dense tissue better and provide clear image
SID for mammography?
60-80cm
What window glass is used? why?
beryllium windowm, because it allows low E photons to pass
Does mammography use high or low atomic number materials?
low
High or low kvp with mammography?
low kvp
What target material is used in mammography? (other than dense tissue)
molybdenum
Beam energy magic number for photon E (best for imaging breast)
17-24 kev
Molybdenum k-shell BE
20 kev
How often is mammography screening? ages?
every 2 years ages 40-74
Breast cancer is the
most common cancer amongst women
List breast cancer risk factors
age (older), family history, genetics, early mensuration, menopause after 55, no children or having children late, prolonged estrogen use, rad therapy at young age, more dense breast, more education, more socio-economic
Explain digital tomosynthesis
tube moves during exam, takes many images at a time, can see different “slices”, only done if needed, blurs out different parts
Pros of digital tomosynthesis
decreases movement during exam, increased contrast resolution
Con of digital tomosynthesis
Increased patient dose
What kvp do you use in mammography
30 kvp
What is the magic number for photon E in mammography good at, regarding the image?
Good at showing the difference in tissues
Why do we use a heavy element filter in mammography?
Because you just want the narrow range of photon E in the beam, so it absorbs the low E and the high E photons (lets through JUST the ones just below the BE)
What is the filter made of in mammography?
Molybdenum
Why do we screen?
Since screening, there’s been a huge decrease in deaths from breast cancer
Why do we use low kvp with mammography?
breast has no bone / air - there’s fat / tissue which are similar density / Z. Low kvp is for more absorption
Which type of breast are at higher risk for breast cancer?
dense breast
Why do we use molybdenum?
because with MO you get a large spike at 17-19kev (which works with MO magic number of 17-24)
Why don’t we want photons below 17 and above 24?
Because the low E photons (below 17) will get absorbed by the breast (not useful), and high E doesn’t play a role because they don’t highlight details in the breast tissue
What do you use to get rid of the low and high E photons we don’t need?
k-edge filter
What is the k-edge filter made of?
molybdenum