A Potential Solution to Assess the Absorbed Dose at Any Point in Breast During Digital Breast Tomosynthesis (DBT) Imaging Using a Novel Monte Carlo Simulation Software

Abstract

Estimating the average glandular dose (AGD) from a mammographic exam is essential for assessing radiation-induced cancer risk. In this study, we propose Mdec-Toki Monte Carlo Method with the aim of visualizing the dose distribution of the entire breast under different arbitrary glandularities, compressed thicknesses, and exposure parameters and evaluating the absorbed dose at an arbitrary point. A phantom with 50% glandularity values was used for the optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dosimeters measurements to obtain the percentage depth dose PDD from the incident surface to the emission surface. Using the Mdec-Toki method under the same settings as those used for actual measurements and PDD was used to calculate the AGD. The PDD and AGD at an arbitrary point, obtained from Mdec-Toki method simulations and the actual measurements using OSL were similar. The proposed method may be adapted to individual patients and can support radiation safety management during mammography.