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Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Silicon for Radiation Shielding in Mammography

Journal of Magnetics, Volume 27, Number 4, 31 Dec 2022, Pages 492-497
Jang-Oh Kim (Kangwon National University), Dong-Hee Han (Kangwon National University), Kyung-Hwan Jung (Kangwon National University), Da-Eun Kwon (Kangwon National University), Byung-In Min (Inje University), Seung-Jae Lee (Dongseo University), Cheol-Ha Baek * (Kangwon National University)
Abstract
Mammography is one of the most important test techniques for screening and diagnostic examinations of
breast diseases. Recently, the incidence of breast cancer has increased and the demand for mammography is
increasing through the cancer screening programs in each country. Therefore, research on shielding materials
is actively being pursued to reduce radiation exposure during mammography. The purpose of this study is to
verify and compare the GATE simulation and experiment in terms of the shielding performance under the
experimental conditions of tube voltage (25, 30, 35 kVp) and silicon thickness (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 mm). Through
MCNP simulation, the absorbed dose reduction rate of breast tissue according to tube voltage/silicon shielding
thickness is presented. The GATE simulation and experimental results were within the error range of 0.07 to
1.42 % under all conditions. In addition, through simulations and experiments, it was confirmed that silicon
can offer more than 80 % shield regardless of automatic exposure control (AEC) of mammography equipment
when 5 mm of silicon is used. Therefore, the results of the study can serve as useful basic data for the development
of a shielding suit or shield that can reduce the exposure of other surrounding tissues due to scattered
rays during mammography.
Keywords: mammography; electromagnetic waves; monte carlo simulation; silicon; shielding material; radioprotection
DOI: https://doi.org/10.4283/JMAG.2022.27.4.492
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