[Quality assurance in organized screening of breast cancer]

Rev Med Suisse Romande. 2003 May;123(5):283-9.
[Article in French]

Abstract

Quality assurance is an essential process which should be applied for any organised breast cancer screening program since mammography it the only test available for an early diagnosis. It should also assess the quality of diagnostic and treatment processes in order to ascertain that the quality of the screening program would not be altered by the procedures which take place after the screening. Quality assurance must be applied to each component of the screening process: equipment, radiographers (technicians) as well as radiologists. It is a multidisciplinary approach following a well defined protocol, which should be supervised by a coordination unit, the Breast Cancer Screening Foundation in Canton of Vaud. Performances of the Vaud program show clearly at what extend multiple reading method improves the quality of screening. It seems that there is no inconvenient to involve radiologists who wish to participate without any selection to the reading process provided that there is in place a team of 2nd and 3rd readers who benefit of an appropriate training and experience.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Breast Neoplasms / diagnostic imaging*
  • Data Interpretation, Statistical
  • Humans
  • Mammography / instrumentation
  • Mammography / standards*
  • Mass Screening / instrumentation
  • Mass Screening / standards*
  • Program Evaluation
  • Quality Assurance, Health Care*
  • Switzerland