Compression forces used in the Norwegian Breast Cancer Screening Program

Waade, G; Moshina, N; Sæbuødegård, S; Hogg, P; Hofvind, S

Abstract

Objectives: Compression is used in mammography to reduce breast thickness, which is claimed to improve image quality and reduce radiation dose. In the Norwegian Breast Cancer Screening Program (NBCSP), the recommended range of compression force for full field digital mammography is 11-18 kg (108-177 Newton [N]). This is the first study to investigate the compression force used in the program.
Methods: The study included information from 17,951 randomly selected women screened with FFDM at 14 breast centres in the NBCSP, January-March 2014. We investigated the applied compression force on left breast in craniocaudal (CC) and mediolateral oblique (MLO) view for breast centres, mammography machines within the breast centres and for the radiographers.
Results: The mean compression force for all mammograms in the study was 116N and ranged from 91 to 147N between the breast centres. The variation in compression force was wider between the breast centres than between mammography machines (range 137-155N) and radiographers (95-143N) within one breast centre. Approximately 59% of the mammograms in the study complied with the recommended range of compression force.
Conclusions: A wide variation in applied compression force was observed between the breast centres in the NBCSP. This variation indicates a need for evidence-based recommendations for compression force aimed at optimizing the image quality and individualising breast compression.
Advances in knowledge: There was a wide variation in applied compression force between the breast centres in the NBCSP. The variation was wider between the breast centres than between mammography machines and radiographers within one breast centre.

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Jan 12, 2017
• Online Publication Date: Feb 17, 2017
• Publication Date: Feb 17, 2017
• Deposit Date: Jan 12, 2017
• Publicly Available Date: Jan 19, 2018
• Journal: British Journal of Radiology
• Print ISSN: 0007-1285
• Electronic ISSN: 1748-880X
• Publisher: British Institute of Radiology
• Volume: 90
• Issue: 1071
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1259/bjr.20160770
• Publisher URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1259/bjr.20160770
• Related Public URLs: http://www.bir.org.uk/publications/journals/