Natalia Arenas1, Rodrigo Alcantara1, Margarita Posso2,3, Javier Louro4,5, Daniela Perez-Leon4,6, Belén Ejarque1, Mónica Arranz1, Jose Maiques1, Xavier Castells4,5, Francesc Macià4,5, Marta Román4,5, Ana Rodríguez-Arana7. 1. Radiology Department, Hospital del Mar, Barcelona, Spain. 2. Department of Epidemiology and Evaluation, IMIM (Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute), Passeig Maritím 25-29, 08003, Barcelona, Spain. mposso@parcdesalutmar.cat. 3. Network for Research on Chronicity, Primary Care, and Health Promotion (RICAPPS), Barcelona, Spain. mposso@parcdesalutmar.cat. 4. Department of Epidemiology and Evaluation, IMIM (Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute), Passeig Maritím 25-29, 08003, Barcelona, Spain. 5. Network for Research on Chronicity, Primary Care, and Health Promotion (RICAPPS), Barcelona, Spain. 6. Preventive Medicine and Public Health Training Unit PSMar-ASPB-UPF, Barcelona, Spain. 7. Radiology Department, Hospital Universitario Vall d'Hebron, Barcelona, Spain.
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: We compared the compression force, breast thickness, and glandular dose, as well as the severity of discomfort and women's experience between the patient-assisted compression (PAC) and standard compression (SC) modes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We conducted a prospective randomized controlled study at Hospital del Mar in Barcelona, Spain. We included 448 asymptomatic women aged 50 to 69 years old, attending their screening round from December 2017 to December 2019. Mammograms included the two bilateral views. In each woman, one breast was studied with SC and the other with PAC. The mode used in each breast was selected following a randomized list. Compression force, breast thickness, and average glandular dose were obtained for each of the 1792 images. We also recorded the degree of discomfort and women's experience, after mammogram acquisitions, using a predefined survey. RESULTS: Higher compression forces were obtained with PAC than with SC (99.27 N vs 83.25 N, p < 0.001). Breast thickness mode (56.11 mm vs 57.52 mm, p = 0.015) and glandular dose (1.34 mGy vs 1.37 mGy, p = 0.018) were lower in PAC. The discomfort score was slightly higher with PAC (mean 3.94 vs 3.69, p = 0.042), but in the satisfaction survey, more women reported that PAC caused less discomfort. Additionally, 63.2% of women (289/448) preferred PAC. CONCLUSION: PAC achieved higher compression forces without impairing the other technical imaging parameters and enhanced women's experience of screening mammography. We believe there were no clinically significant differences in the severity of discomfort between the two modes. KEY POINTS: • Self-compression allows higher compression forces than the standard compression mode. • Self-compression does not affect technical imaging parameters. • Self-compression improved women's experience of screening mammography when standard compression was used on one breast and self-compression on the other.
OBJECTIVES: We compared the compression force, breast thickness, and glandular dose, as well as the severity of discomfort and women's experience between the patient-assisted compression (PAC) and standard compression (SC) modes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We conducted a prospective randomized controlled study at Hospital del Mar in Barcelona, Spain. We included 448 asymptomatic women aged 50 to 69 years old, attending their screening round from December 2017 to December 2019. Mammograms included the two bilateral views. In each woman, one breast was studied with SC and the other with PAC. The mode used in each breast was selected following a randomized list. Compression force, breast thickness, and average glandular dose were obtained for each of the 1792 images. We also recorded the degree of discomfort and women's experience, after mammogram acquisitions, using a predefined survey. RESULTS: Higher compression forces were obtained with PAC than with SC (99.27 N vs 83.25 N, p < 0.001). Breast thickness mode (56.11 mm vs 57.52 mm, p = 0.015) and glandular dose (1.34 mGy vs 1.37 mGy, p = 0.018) were lower in PAC. The discomfort score was slightly higher with PAC (mean 3.94 vs 3.69, p = 0.042), but in the satisfaction survey, more women reported that PAC caused less discomfort. Additionally, 63.2% of women (289/448) preferred PAC. CONCLUSION: PAC achieved higher compression forces without impairing the other technical imaging parameters and enhanced women's experience of screening mammography. We believe there were no clinically significant differences in the severity of discomfort between the two modes. KEY POINTS: • Self-compression allows higher compression forces than the standard compression mode. • Self-compression does not affect technical imaging parameters. • Self-compression improved women's experience of screening mammography when standard compression was used on one breast and self-compression on the other.
Authors: Jerry E de Groot; Woutjan Branderhorst; Cornelis A Grimbergen; Gerard J den Heeten; Mireille J M Broeders Journal: Eur J Radiol Date: 2014-12-13 Impact factor: 3.528