X-ray absorptiometry of the breast using mammographic exposure factors: application to units featuring automatic beam quality selection.

A number of studies have identified the relationship between the visual appearance of high breast density at mammography and an increased risk of breast cancer. Approaches to quantify the amount of glandular tissue within the breast from mammography have so far concentrated on image-based methods. Here, it is proposed that the X-ray parameters automatically selected by the mammography unit can be used to estimate the thickness of glandular tissue overlying the automatic exposure sensor area, provided that the unit can be appropriately calibrated. This is a non-trivial task for modern mammography units that feature automatic beam quality selection, as the number of tube potential and X-ray target/filter combinations used to cover the range of breast sizes and compositions can be large, leading to a potentially unworkable number of curve fits and interpolations. Using appropriate models for the attenuation of the glandular breast in conjunction with a constrained set of physical phantom measurements, it is demonstrated that calibration for X-ray absorptiometry can be achieved despite the large number of possible exposure factor combinations employed by modern mammography units. The main source of error on the estimated glandular tissue thickness using this method is shown to be uncertainty in the measured compressed breast thickness. An additional correction for this source of error is investigated and applied. Initial surveys of glandular thickness for a cohort of women undergoing breast screening are presented.