Newsletter
American Association Of Physicists In Medicine VOLUME 28 NO. 3
MAY/JUNE 2003
AAPM President’s Column Martin S. Weinhous Cleveland, Ohio
Your Executive Committee I write this column on Tuesday April 15th having just returned from a day and a half of your Executive Committee’s meetings over the weekend. The Executive Committee (ExCom) is composed of the chairman of the board, president, presidentelect, treasurer, secretary and executive director (ex officio, nonvoting). In order to conduct the Association’s business, ExCom meets in early February by teleconference (~5 hrs); in mid-April at AAPM’s HQ (~14 hrs); just before and during the summer Annual Meeting (~13 hrs); with the Board at the Annual Meeting (~5 hrs); in October at AAPM HQ with the Budget Subcommittee and then independently (~21 hrs); just before and at the RSNA meeting (~13 hrs); and finally with the Board at the RSNA meeting (~5 hrs). ExCom’s activities at these meetings range widely. For example, many of the Association’s administrative policies and procedures have sunset dates so they can be evaluated in the light of changing times. ExCom does so and may modify and extend a
Mildred Dresselhaus Named Chair of AIP Governing Board Chris Marshall, AAPM Member, AIP Governing Board
sunset date as appropriate. ExCom often has the first opportunity to react to proposals from outside groups for cooperation or sponsorship or charity. When such interactions clearly involve educational, professional or scientific issues, ExCom would likely refer the request to the appropriate council for benefit of their expertise. ExCom will also receive reports from the many individuals who represent the Association to outside groups. Although ExCom ‘acts for the Board,’ completion of such actions are intentionally limited to routine matters. Nonroutine matters are taken to the Board as Action Items for resolution.
Ongoing Activities The Joint Ad Hoc AAPM/ ACMP Committee on Journal (See Weinhous - p. 2)
I recently had the honor of chairing the search committee that recommended distinguished MIT Professor Mildred Dresselhaus as the next chair of the AIP Governing Board. Fellow search committee members representing other AIP member societies were Lawrence Crum (University of Washington-Seattle), Jerome Friedman (MIT), Robert Hilborn (See Dresselhaus - p. 3)
TABLE OF CONTENTS
AAPM Awards Dresselhaus - AIP Student Meeting Annc. Exec. Dir’s. Column Gov’t. Affairs Column Chapter News New Members Mammography FAQ’s Letter to the Editor
p 2 p. 3 p. 4 p 5 p 7 p 8 p 10 p 14 p 15
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Weinhous
(from p. 1)
Publications has produced a consensus agreement regarding the future operation and financial support of the Journal of Applied Clinical Medical Physics (JACMP). That group’s recommendations have been reviewed by ExCom and will receive further expedited review by members of our Educational and Professional Councils and by the Journal Business Management Committee. The ACMP is similarly reviewing the ad hoc committee’s recommendations. The intent is to reach an agreement that will benefit the profession, the practitioners, the Association and the College – stay tuned. The draft report of the AAPM-ACMP Ad Hoc Committee on Professional Medical Physics Issues has been submitted and is being reviewed. With the above consensus agreement on the journal and with the changes in our Professional Council, the draft report is likely to be modified. The evolving cooperation between the AAPM and the ACMP is another work in progress. Two new ad hoc committees are in place. The first, the Ad Hoc Placement Service Committee under Robert Rice will deal with all aspects of our electronic Blue Book. The Ad Hoc Committee on Exposure Limits under Peter Biggs will, in conjunction with representatives from other societies, assess the assumptions underlying present exposure limit recommendations and perhaps
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jointly make their own recommendations. ExCom very recently became aware of the National Medal of Technology awards administered by the Technology Administration of the U.S. Department of Commerce <www.ta.doc.gov/ medal>. They are awarded for technological achievement and presented annually by the President of the United States. ExCom is of the firm opinion that there are medical physicists who would qualify for the award and is beginning the process of identifying such persons and preparing nomination(s) for next year. The AAPM is about to recommend a member for the position of commissioner of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Plans If you haven’t already done so, please make your plans to attend the AAPM Summer School on Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy to be held June 22–26 in Colorado Springs, CO. Similarly, it’s a good time to also make your plans to attend our Annual Meeting to be held August 10–14 in San Diego, CA. Further information about these and other AAPM activities can, as usual, be found at www.aapm.org. As always, the Association’s officers and staff are available to the members to correspond on any issue as we all work together to improve the Association. ‘Til next time… ■
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AAPM Awards The following awards will be presented at the 2003 Awards and Honors Ceremony at the Annual Meeting in San Diego. Congratulations recipients!
Sylvia Sorkin Greenfield Award The AAPM Sylvia Sorkin Greenfield Award is presented to the best non-dosimetry paper in Medical Physics. This year’s award will be presented to: Mia Skarpathiotakis Martin J. Yaffe Aili K. Bloomquist Dan Rico Serge Muller Andreas Rick Fanny Jeunehomme for their paper entitled “Development of contrast digital mammography,” Medical Physics 29 (10)/ 2419-2426, 2002.
Farrington Daniels Award The AAPM Farrington Daniels Award is presented to the best dosimetry paper in Medical Physics. This year’s award will be presented to: Daryoush Sheikh-Bagheri David W. O. Rogers for their paper entitled “Sensitivity of megavoltage photon beam Monte Carlo simulations to electron beam and other parameters,” Medical Physics 29 (3) / 379 - 390, 2002.
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Dresselhaus
(from p. 1)
(Amherst College), Leonard Kuhi (University of Minnesota, Twin Cities), and Myriam Sarachik (City College of the City University of New York). Mildred will be the first woman to chair the governing board of the AIP over its long history. Her remarkable career to date is summarized in the February 2003 issue of Physics Today (http:// www.aip.org/pt/vol-56/iss-2/ p71a.shtml). I have extracted the following additional item of particular interest to AAPM members from her early biography on the MIT Web
MIT Professor Will Be First Woman To Chair Governing Board of American Institute of Physics The following is a press release from the AIP. College Park, MD (March 10, 2003)—In the United States, men are still more likely than women to choose a career in science. But Dr. Mildred S. Dresselhaus continues a career in physics distinguished for research accomplishments and her commitment to mentoring young scientists. Now Professor Dresselhaus has been chosen as the first woman to chair the governing board of the American Institute of Physics; a group of 10 scientific soci-
site: (http://web.mit.edu/physics/ fyi/dresselhaus_bio.htm ) “……After attending the New York City public schools, she [Mildred Dresselhaus] was admitted to Hunter College High School in New York City. With the intention of becoming a teacher, Millie went to Hunter College where she felt comfortable both socially and academically. There she met Rosalyn
Dr. Mildred S. Dresselhaus Photo provided by AIP
eties that apply a wide range of physical sciences to the public welfare. Nuclear physics, acoustics, optics, astronomy, climatology and meteorology are just samples of the sciences AIP societies handle. For Dr. Dresselhaus, leading the AIP board is another accomplishment in a long career that includes winning the National Medal of Science, directing the Office of Science at the U.S. Department of Energy and 35 years of teaching and research at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. “AIP is important to me and to all physicists. I am very much
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Yalow, one of the 1977 Nobel Laureates in medicine, who became her advisor and mentor in her sophomore year. Yalow, also coming from a disadvantaged background, encouraged Millie to press ahead despite detractors, taught her to recognize and seize opportunity, and followed her career as it unfolded with “advice and love.”…….” Rosalyn Yalow is of course one of the 16 Founding Members who are named in the Articles of Incorporation of the AAPM and who thus launched this organization. ■
looking forward to this new opportunity to serve the physics community,” Dresselhaus says. “As I get into the job I hopefully can find areas where I can have special impact. My experiences all give me some perspective that should help me in this new position.” As an educator, Dr. Dresselhaus is known for mentoring dozens of women—as well as men—down the difficult road to physics Ph.Ds. She received her own Ph.D. in physics from the University of Chicago in 1958. Since then, colleagues have honored her work with 17 honorary doctorates. Professor Dresselhaus’ work in physics has produced key breakthroughs in understanding carbon nanotubes—atom-thin walls of carbon that promise unprecedented high-strength materials. (See AIP - p. 4)
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(from p. 3)
The MIT professor also has extensive experience as a leader of scientific societies. She has served as president of the American Physical Society (APS), treasurer of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS), president of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and on numerous advisory committees and councils. “I look forward to working with Millie to continue to increase the effectiveness of AIP in serving its ten member societies and their 125,000 individual members,” said Marc H. Brodsky, executive director and CEO of AIP. “She brings experience in society affairs, having served in leadership positions in APS, AAAS, and other societies as well as highlevel positions in government and academic circles.” Dresselhaus will succeed John A. Armstrong, who is stepping down as chair after five years. When he took the position in 1998 Armstrong announced he would follow the recent tradition of AIP chairs to serve no longer than five years.
AAPM Student Meeting in San Diego There will be a student meeting and socialization time during the 2003 AAPM Annual Meeting in San Diego. Ideas for future student meetings and the creation of a student contact database will be discussed. The meeting will be from 9:30 to 11:00 AM on Sunday, August 10th in room 20 D of the San Diego Convention Center. A continental breakfast will be provided. E-mail Nathan Childress at nchildre@mdanderson.org with any questions or comments. We look forward to seeing you there!
For more information contact: Craig Smith Media Coordinator American Institute of Physics csmith@aip.org ■
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Executive Director’s Column Sunday, August 10, so make plans to arrive in time to participate in the Sunday events.
Sal Trofi College Park, MD
Medical Physics Journal The Medical Physics journal began an online manuscript submission system known as PeerXPress (PXP) in November of 2002. About 240 manuscripts were processed through March of 2003. There were still 63 manuscripts being processed through the old paper submission system, which will be completed by this summer. One of the many benefits of the automated system is the freeing up of office storage that used to house the paper manuscripts. Another benefit of the PXP system is the reduction of review time. Preliminary reports seem to indicate that the time from submission of a manuscript to completion of the review by the associate editor has been cut in half. The 2002 Medical Physics journal CD is now available online from the Medical Physics journal Web site (http:// www.medphys.org/). Instructions for how to use the file are available along with the archives of Medical Physics on CD from 1997 through 2002.
2003 AAPM Annual Meeting The 45th AAPM Annual Meeting will take place August 10–14, 2003 at the San Diego Conven-
2003 Summer School
tion Center. 782 abstracts were submitted for the 2003 Annual Meeting. This is lower than the record-breaking 856 abstracts submitted for the 2002 Annual Meeting that took place in Montreal. However, the 2003 abstract submissions exceed the 2001 number of submissions by 24%. Sessions, exhibits, registration and the Welcome Center will be at the San Diego Convention Center. The Headquarters hotel is the San Diego Marriott Hotel and Marina. The Headquarters office, all committee meetings and the Awards and Honors Ceremony and Reception will be held in the Marriott. The overflow hotels are the Manchester Grand Hyatt and the Clarion Bayview. The online registration system opened in mid-March. The deadline for discounted registration is June 18. Advance registration closes on July 23. The deadline to make hotel reservations is July 7. Keep in mind that scientific sessions and exhibits now begin on
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At the time of writing this column, it appears that registration for the Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy Summer School will exceed expectations. The proceedings of the program will be available through Medical Physics Publishing in late June to early July. Contact MPP at (800) 442-5778 to place an order. Registrants will receive a copy of the proceedings as part of their Summer School registration.
Financial News The financial audit for the 2002 year is now complete and the result is very good. The operating revenues exceeded expenses by about $270,000. That’s the good news. The bad news is that our invested funds experienced a decline in value for the third year in a row. This is not an uncommon result as many organizations experienced the same result. The combined result of operating and invested funds was a loss of about $105,000 for the 2002 year. The Annual Meeting and the Medical Physics journal were the two best performers that accounted for the good operating results. ■
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Government Affairs Column Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services CMS Total: $413 billion FY 2003 compared to $442 billion requested by President for FY 2004. Food and Drug Administration FDA Total: $1.64 billion in FY 2003 compared to $1.7 billion requested by President for FY 2004.
Angela L. Lee College Park, MD President Bush released his FY 2004 budget on February 3, 2003. Congress passed the remaining 11 appropriation bills on February 13, 2003 in a very large omnibus bill (House Rpt 108-010). House Report 108010 is 3,000 pages and can be found on the Library of Congress (Thomas) Web site. Here is how you can obtain this report: go to http://thomas.loc.gov/, then Committee Reports, type 108010 in the Report Number box, click on House Rpt. 108-010. Some of these budget increases look a little low because the FY 2004 presidential budget request was released before Congress passed its FY 2003 budget. In some cases, Congress gave more money to an agency than what the President requested. Below I have outlined the actual budget totals given to various agencies in FY 2003 compared to the President’s FY 2004 budget. The breakdown of how agencies fared that are of importance to AAPM appears as follows:
National Institute of Health NIH Total: $27.2 billion for FY 2003 compared to $27.9 billion requested by President for FY 2004. National Cancer Institute NCI Total: $4.6 billion for FY 2003 compared to $4.7 billion requested by President for FY 2004. National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering NIBIB Total: $280.1 million for FY2003 compared to $282.1 million requested by President for FY 2004. The president requested $270 million for FY 2003 and his FY 2004 budget came out before congress passed their FY 2003 budget. National Institute of Standards and Technology NIST Total: $707.5 million in FY 2003 compared to $496.8 million requested by President for FY 2004. NIST Laboratories: $351.9 million in FY 2003 compared to $381.8 million requested by President for FY 2004. Nuclear Regulatory Commission NRC Total: $578 million in FY 2003 compared to $626.1 million requested by President for FY 2004. I attended the National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements (NCRP) Annual Meeting on “Radiation Protection at the Beginning of the 21st Century: A Look Forward.” The meeting was an introspective look at foundational principles of radiation protection. They discussed: 1) The current and future roles of the NCRP and the International Commission on Radio7
logical Protection; and 2) Areas that need improvement and how they are currently being addressed by federal agencies, the nuclear industry, states and the medical community. There was a very informative panel discussion on ways to implement changes to radiation protection. The next NCRP annual meeting will be held on April 14-15, 2004. ■
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Chapter News Florida Christopher Serago Jacksonville, FL The Florida AAPM Chapter recently held its annual spring meeting. The meeting was held in Orlando, March 7-8, and was well attended by 101 attendees and 35 vendors. The meeting was once again a major resource for continuing education for its members. This year’s program was put together by Zoubir Ouhib (president-elect), and organized by Jim Atherton (secretary) and Roy Landers (treasurer). At the meeting, the Florida Chapter honored two of its members with the creation of two awards.
The Walter Mauderli Award was created to honor Dr. Mauderli, a pioneer medical physicist in the state of Florida, and for many years the director of the Division of Radiation Physics at the University of Florida. Dr. Mauderli’s award was in recognition of his lifetime achievement in the field of medical physics, and, in particular, his contri-
Southeast
butions in Florida. The Walter Mauderli Award will be given in future years to other Florida medical physicists on the basis of their lifetime achievement.
Southeast Chapter Donates $5,000 to The Jack S. Krohmer Educational Fund Ray Tanner Memphis, TN
The Lawrence Fitzgerald Award was created to honor Dr. Fitzgerald in recognition of his lifetime contributions as an educator and mentor in the field of medical physics in the state of Florida. Dr. Fitzgerald also spent many years at the University of Florida. Florida is covered with physicists who have benefited from his generous tutelage. The Lawrence Fitzgerald Award will be given at each spring meeting to the best student presenter. The 2003 best student presentation, and inaugural Lawrence Fitzgerald Award winner is Anthony Stell. ■
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At the conclusion of a very successful symposium entitled “Breast Imaging and Medical Physics: Past, Present and Future” and its annual meeting at the Callaway Gardens Inn, Pine Mountain, Georgia, March 2729, the SE Chapter of the AAPM voted to donate $5,000 in memory of the late Jack S. Krohmer to the AAPM’s recently established educational fund named for Jack. This fund is part of a larger Members Memorial Fund used for providing scholarships to medical physics students. Jack’s career spanned more than 50 years and included scientific, educational and professional contributions, which continue to benefit all medical physicists. Jack was especially noted for starting our Placement Service, his long tenure on the American Board of Radiology, and his unending efforts to strengthen relations between medical physicists and radiologists (obituaries may be found in both Medical Physics, October, 2001, p. 1997 and Radiology, November, 2001, p. 562.). Formal presen-
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Chapter News tation of the check will be made at the Leadership Reception of our San Diego meeting. It is hoped that this donation will spur other chapters to do likewise so that the future of medical physics may be assured by helping to provide adequate numbers of welleducated physicists. The symposium on digital mammography included 19 nationally known experts and was attended by 47 registrants from as far away as Belgium. It was directed by Gary Barnes and Michael Yester from the University of Alabama, Birmingham. Fifteen and a half CAMPEP approved credits in mammography physics were available to those in attendance.
The annual meeting immediately followed the symposium and featured papers presented by chapter members focusing largely on IMRT and CT Dose. About two thirds of the members were present for the day-long event which included more than 25 commercial exhibitors and a sumptuous evening out in the gardens. One highlight presentation was by James S. Davis, director of the Environmental Health and Safety Division at the Medical College of Georgia in Augusta on “Nuclear Terrorism, Radiation and the Medical Physicist.” The azaleas were in bloom and yes, some attendees stopped long enough to ‘smell the flow-
ers’ and visit other natural areas of Callaway’s extensive acreage. The hotel accommodates 1,500 persons with very fine on-site conference facilities. It is only a short drive to Warm Springs where President Roosevelt died days before the surrender of Germany, which ended the European component of WWII. New officers for the SE Chapter were announced at the meeting: David Vassy - president, Andrew Karellas - presidentelect, George David - secretary and David Gauntt - treasurer. ■
Southern California SCC AAPM Midwinter Workshop Held in Los Angeles Steve Goetsch La Jolla, CA The Southern California Chapter held its annual midwinter workshop titled “Image Guided Therapy” on Friday, January 31 at the Sheraton Universal Hotel. More than 60 chapter members, graduate students and dosimetrists attended the meeting, along with 30 vendors representing 23 companies. A dis-
tinguished faculty of eight presenters offered an all-day program at the forefront of new imaging and treatment technology. Stafford Chenery, Alex Li, Paul Medin and Anil Sharma from our chapter gave excellent talks. In addition, George Chen from Massachusetts General Hospital, Rock Mackie from the University of Wisconsin, David Jaffray from Princess Margaret Hospital in Toronto and Lisa Grimm from Morristown (NJ) Memorial Hospital flew to Los Angeles to give talks at this meeting. Six hours of MPCEC credits were offered to AAPM mem9
bers, and in a new innovation, credit hours were also offered to dosimetrists through the AAMD. We look forward to continued meetings with our dosimetrist colleagues. We hope to invite local dosimetrists in southern California to attend the upcoming Annual Meeting in San Diego this August 10-14. ■
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New Members Welcome to the following new members who have joined the AAPM December, 2002 through March, 2003. Zubair H Abbasi Atlanta, GA Rami R Abu-Aita Gainesville, FL Anders Ahnesjo Uppsala, SWEDEN Francis Ai Glenview, IL Hilary C Akpati Gainesville, FL Claude V Albaret Montreal, QC, CANADA Brent Albertson Columbus, OH Sarah M Alfano Canton, MI Hisham A Alhadlaq Rochester, MI Mustafa C Altunbas Buffalo, NY Paola E Alvarez Houston, TX Khalid A Alyousef Dearborn, MI Stephen Russell Armour Littleton, CO Prakash Aryal Lexington, KY Miguel A Avila-Rodriguez Madison, WI Bulent T Aydogan New Brunswick, NJ Christopher T Baird Chicago, IL Dennis Bradley Barhorst Baton Rouge, LA Parminder S Basran Toronto, ON, CANADA Wolfgang W Baus Darmstadt, GERMANY Alan H Baydush Durham, NC David Beachey Toronto, ON, CANADA Philippe Belanger Trois-Rivieres, QC, CANADA Aurelian Belecciu Clinton Township, MI Avi Ben-Shlomo Yavne, ISRAEL Ross I Berbeco Somerville, MA
Yanic Bercier Montreal, QC, CANADA Roberto Berenguer Albacete, SPAIN Real Besner Montreal, QC, CANADA Michael H. Biddy Asheville, NC Rayma L. Bilicki Brighton, MI Robert D Black Morrisville, NC Goldie M Bodiker Lima, OH Clifford G Born Cincinnati, OH Chantal Boudreau Montreal, QC, CANADA Martin Bues Boston, MA Charles W Bullington Nashville, TN Gyongyver Bulz Colorado Springs, CO Maria Bunta Cedar Rapids, IA Vera Burtman Oceanside, NY Marie-Laure A. Camborde Vancouver, BC, CANADA Alex Cardenas Houston, TX Jean-Francois Carrier Quebec, QC, CANADA Andrew M Casella Columbia, MO Cemile Ceylan Izmir, TURKEY Gordon H Chan Cleveland, OH Nicolas Charest Wheeling, WV Laigao Chen Ann Arbor, MI Chen Chen Toledo, OH Ing Y Cheng Loma Linda, CA Venu S Chivukula Omaha, NE Yong S Choi Newark, DE Cynthia Fu-Yu Chuang San Francisco, CA
Edward L Clouser Cleveland, OH Tim D Craig Toronto, ON, CANADA Steven M Crooks Miami, FL Rodney E Cubbage Granite Falls, NC George M Daskalov Ottawa, ON, CANADA Lawrence T Dauer New York, NY James V De Stefano San Jose, CA Dell E Deligero Hollywood, FL David M DeSantis Burlington, VT Sonja Dieterich Washington, DC Andreea Dimofte Philadelphia, PA Godwin Dorbu Budd Lake, NJ Claude Dubois Pointe-au-père, QC, CANADA Lisa J Duggan Randwick, AUSTRALIA Michael D Eisenberg Los Angeles, CA Ahmed A El Deeb Cairo, EGYPT Lidiya A Ellis Buffalo Grove, IL Yuri A Ellis Bufflo Grove, IL William D Erwin Houston, TX Lars Ewell Ann Arbor, MI Ning Yuan Feng St Johns, NL, CANADA Michael Fix Zurich, SWITZERLAND David E B Fleming Sackville, NB, CANADA Ryan T Flynn Madison, WI Sean P Frigo Madison, WI Ronald J Froehlich Lima, OH Xiaoyang Fu New York, NY
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Jose T Garcia-Cobian Mount Holly, NJ Larry Gates Halifax, NS, CANADA Darren M Gearheart Prestonsburg, KY Mihai R Gherase Ottawa, ON, CANADA Stefano Gianolini Zurich, SWITZERLAND Krzysztof R Gorny Rochester, MN Micheline Gosselin Montreal, QC, CANADA Sheridan L Griffin Madison, WI Maureen C Grigereit Chesterfield, MO Mariana Guerrero Baltimore, MD Sarah L Gundy Galway Co. Galway, IRELAND Michael L Hall Oklahoma City, OK Christopher M Hand Maple Glen, PA Jimmy Hernandez-Bello Puebla CP, MEXICO Michelle L Hilts Vancouver, BC, CANADA Yunsil Ho New York, NY Brian J Hopkins Sammamish, WA Kimberly A Howell La Crosse, WI Rebecca M Howell Atlanta, GA Dimitre Histrov Hristov Concord, CA Hsiu-Ting D Hsu Madison, WI Michael Y Hu Scottsdale, AZ Kai Huang Glendale, CA Vicky W Huang Montreal, QC, CANADA Zhong Huang Windsor, ON, CANADA Andrew J Hunt Poole, UNITED KINGDOM
(See New Members - p. 12)
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New Members
MAY/JUNE 2003 Dickerson C Moreno Columbia, MO Steve Morgan Brighton, UNITED KINGDOM Florence Calaway Mullins Huntsville, AL Normand Nadon Montreal, QC, CANADA John P Naughton Norwood, MA Catherine L Neath Surrey, BC, CANADA Daniel W Neck Baton Rouge, LA Claire T Nerbun Houston, TX Kwok P Ng Kowloon, HONG KONG Laurenti K Ngutter Dover, DE Nina T Nguyen Orlando, FL Princeton J Nguyen Eden Prairie, MN Benwen Ni Naperville, IL Teamour Sandibeck Nurushev Detroit, MI Thomas Joseph O’Dea Shoreview, MN Kayode I Ogungbemi Washington, DC Neil J O’Hare Dublin, IRELAND Silvana C Oliveira Montreal, QC, CANADA Okedi W Omereji Columbia, MO Melissa Ott College Park, MD Siobhan Ozard Montreal, QC, CANADA Sophie Paquerault Chicago, IL Kamen A Paskalev Philadelphia, PA Sushakumari Pillai Omaha, NE Cynthia J Pope Boston, MA Michael J Price Houston, TX Joann I Prisciandaro Rochester, MN Abhinit Priyadershi Toledo, OH James B Proffitt Nashville, TN Andrei B Pugachev New York, NY
(from p. 10)
Gerard B Huppe La Mesa, CA Ileana Nicolae Iftimia Malden, MA Khandaker T Islam Saint Louis, MO Mohammad K Islam Toronto, CANADA Adnan Nasher Ismail Windsor, ON, CANADA David A Jaffray Toronto, ON, CANADA Huaying Ji Nashville, TN Mary X Jia Woodward, OK Hongyu Jiang Cambridge, MA Jian-Yue Jin Saint Louis, MO Ellis L Johnson Lexington, KY George Kagadis Agrinio, GREECE Kristofer K Kainz Houston, TX Surrender L Kapoor New Dehli, INDIA Scott J Karnas London, ON, CANADA Stephen R Karp Hogansville, GA Fida M Khan Iowa City, IA Mubashra Khan Fraser, MI Delsin Khan-Boney Norfolk, VA Chang-Seon Kim Halifax, NS, CANADA Yongbok Kim Richmond, CA Sarah Kirtland Frederick, MD Michael W Kissick Madison, WI Peter M Klews Barum, GERMANY Lung Ko Richmond, VA Anand Krishnamurthy Memphis, TN Lalith Kumaraswamy Montreal, QC, CANADA Chun-Bun Kwok Ottawa, ON, CANADA Victoria L LaCerba Riverdale, GA Claude Lapointe Saskatoon, SK, CANADA
Ann A Lawyer Houston, TX Iuliana D Lazea Windsor, ON, CANADA Robert J Leclair Sudbury, ON, CANADA Se Byeong Lee Seoul, KOREA, REPUBLIC OF Keunchul C Lee Quincy, IL Sang-Yeob Lee Boston, MA Daniel Letourneau Royal Oak, MI Daphne Levin-Plotnik Chicago, IL Harold Li Gainesville, FL Hui Li Chicago, IL Texin Li Poughkeepsie, NY Jose Gabriel Lira Gomes Funchal, PORTUGAL Bei Liu Chicago, IL Bob Liu Worcester, MA Ruiguo Liu Iowa City, IA Alphonse L Loper Lexington, KY Weiguo Lu Madison, WI Flora Anne Lucas-Quesada San Francisco, CA Yulia Lyatskaya Boston, MA Marc Alexander MacKenzie Edmonton, AB, CANADA Charles Martel Montreal, QC, CANADA Anetia S Matthews Hermitage, TN Boyd M C McCurdy Winnipeg, MB, CANADA Malcolm R McEwen Ottawa, CANADA Kathryn M McMillan Madison, WI Kevin P McNamara Lexington, KY Milica Medved Chicago, IL Pedro Mendez-Correa Jupiter, FL Ana Mihail Muncie, IN
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Dee-Ann Radford Calgary, AB, CANADA George O Redmond Mitchellville, MD Lou Reinisch Christchurch, NEW ZEALAND Jeff J Richer Farmington Hills, MI Lynn N Rill Jacksonville Beach, FL Joel N Roshau Lubbock, TX Martin Ryder Millersville, MD Tracey E Schefter Aurora, CO Dan Schifter Toledo, OH Richwood G Schurig Stony Brook, NY Varun Sehgal Orange, CA John P Shanahan Henderson, NV Vijeshwar Kumar Sharma Windsor, ON, CANADA Bin Shen Springdale, AR Jon D Shepard Valrico, FL Richard G Shimko Swarthmore, PA Billy J Shirlen Midland, MI Deborah J Shumaker FPO AP Regan E Sibbald Vancouver, BC, CANADA Sabeena Sidhu Saskatoon, SK, CANADA Lawrence J Slate Urbendale, IA Debbie Michelle Smith Gatineau, QC, CANADA Keith T Sowards Louisville, KY Siarhei P Spirydovich Indianapolis, IN Stephen Steciw Edmonton, AB, CANADA Roger D Stevenson II New York, NY Deborah L. Stratman Milwaukee, WI Min Su Durham, NC Andrew J Surowiec Nashville, TN Mauro Tambasco Toronto, ON, CANADA James A Tanyi San Antonio, TX
AAPM NEWSLETTER AAPM NEWSLETTER Michael S Taylor Saint Louis, MO Jeffrey Tays Roswell, GA Alida Tei Chelmsford, MA Robert T Thompson London, ON, CANADA Sharon A Thompson Stewart Manor, NY Ragu S Tirukonda Wichita, KS Brian C Tom Evanston, IL Jack H Towery Nashville, TN Jamie V Trapp Mudgeeraba, AUSTRALIA Shannon M Treis Madison, WI Alexei V Trofimov Allston, MA Tamara A Unikewicz Portland, CT Tomy Varghese Madison, WI
Stephen A Vastagh Rosslyn, VA Anil Verma Ocala, FL Dang-Khoa Vo Gainesville, FL Elizabeth R Votovich Glendale, AZ Nam T Vu San Jose, CA Steven A Wallace Redding, CA David Wang Sewickley, PA Jian Z Wang Baltimore, MD Xiaochun Wang Houston, TX Baodong Wang Troy, NY Jialu Wang Edmonston Alberta, CANADA Yizhen Wang Montreal, QC, CANADA
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Jikun Wei West Lafayette, IN Eric Weiss Hackensack, NJ Jerry Wise Lexington, KY Matthew R Witten Great Neck, NY Chuan Wu Little Rock, AR Junqing Wu Baltimore, MD Xingen Wu Baltimore, MD Ye Wu Buffalo, NY Weijun Xiong Philadelphia, PA Xin-Wei Xu N Potomac, MD Tatsuya Yamazaki Utsunomiya Tochigi, JAPAN Elizabeth A Young Madison, WI
Albert D Zacarias Louisville, KY Omar A Zeidan Gainesville, FL Hualin Zhang Lexington, KY Pengpeng Zhang New York, NY Binsheng Zhao New York, NY Jianguo Zhao Newark, CA
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2003 RDCE
Need Continuing Education Credits? Earn your medical physics continuing education credits online through the
AAPM Remotely Directed Continuing Education Program Answering 8 of the 10 questions will provide you with one Medical Physics Continuing Education Credit (MPCEC). The results of your passing scores will be forwarded to the Commission on Accreditation of Medical Physics Education Programs (CAMPEP). You will receive a summary of your MPCEC’s earned through the RDCE program at the end of the year from CAMPEP. Questions set categories: - CT - PACS, DICOM, and Monitors - Diagnostic - Radiation Protection - Mammography - Radiation Oncology
- Ultrasound - Nuclear Medicine - MRI
Question sets based on: - AAPM Virtual Library presentations - Medical Physics articles - Other easily accessible publications such as AAPM Task Group or NCRP Reports Member Registration Fee: $25
www.aapm.org/educ/rdce.asp 13
AAPM NEWSLETTER
MAY/JUNE 2003
ACR Mammography Accreditation Frequently Asked Questions for Medical Physicists Priscilla F. Butler Sen. Dir., ACR Breast Imaging Accreditation Programs Does your facility need help applying for mammography accreditation? Do you have a question about the ACR Mammography QC Manual? Check out the ACR’s web site at www.acr.org; click “Mammography” and then “Frequently Asked Questions.” You can also call the Mammography Accreditation Information Line at (800) 227-6440. In each issue of this newsletter, I’ll present questions of particular importance for medical physicists.
Q. On our mammography unit, the collimation on the anterior side of the film results in a much greater “white gap” than the -4% allowed by the ACR Performance Criteria. The equipment manufacturer’s service representatives say they cannot decrease the size of that white gap to meet the ACR criterion. What is the purpose of that criterion and is it a requirement? A. On page 236 of the manual ACR is recommending that the field not be within -4% SID on the anterior side of the film. The purpose is to minimize the amount of unattenuated light that reaches the reader’s eyes that can cause a decrease in perceived contrast. However, it is a “recommendation” and not a “requirement” for accreditation. As an FDA-approved accrediting body, we can only require for accreditation what is required under MQSA.
Q. I am having difficulty performing the artifact test on a mammography system using a film processor with a daylight loader. The 1999 ACR Mammography Quality Control Manual specifies that two exposed films must be processed orthogonally to each other in order to differentiate processor-caused artifacts from other causes. How do I do this with a daylight processing system? A. Generally, you cannot. Daylight processing systems will only accept cassettes to unload in one direction. Furthermore, attempting to “trick” the system by loading an 18 x 24 cm film crosswise in a 24 x 30 cm cassette may result in error messages or jam the system. Remember, the purpose of this maneuver is to help you localize the source of the artifact. Fortunately, many processorcaused artifacts have characteristic appearances (e.g., roller marks, pi lines, runback, etc.). If you cannot readily identify the artifact based on its appearance, try sequentially removing (or changing) various components of the X-ray system (such as the filter, compression paddle, bucky or cassette) to see if the artifact goes away. If there are several mammography units at the facility, you can also check if the same artifacts appear on all the films. If they do, the processing system is most likely the cause. Finally, check with the daylight loader/ 14
processor manufacturer for any recommendations for this test that are specific to their unit. Q. Is the wording about screen uniformity on page 308 of the 1999 ACR Mammography Quality Control Manual wrong? It reads that if the standard deviation of control cassette densities is less than 0.05, and the density range exceeds 0.3, then corrective action is needed. Are we then to assume that if the standard deviation of control cassette densities is greater than 0.05, but the density range exceeds 0.3, then corrective action is NOT needed? I think the action limit means to say that the standard deviation should be less than 0.05, and the density range should be less than 0.3. Is this correct? Should this say, “If the standard deviation of control cassette densities is greater than 0.05, or the density range exceeds 0.3, then corrective action is needed”? A. Both the 1994 and the 1999 manuals are correct. This test is designed to evaluate the uniformity of the screens and cassettes. However, the procedure is only valid if the processing and X-ray generator remain constant. If the standard deviation of the control cassette densities exceeds 0.05, it means that there is another problem not associated with the cassettes. This variability should be evaluated and re-
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duced before the cassettes are evaluated. (See page 247 under Data Analysis and Interpretation.) Corrective action on the cassettes should only be taken if the standard deviation of the control cassette does not exceed 0.05 and the optical density exceeds 0.03. In other words, don’t blame the cassettes if it’s an Xray unit or processor problem. Q. The ACR-recommended performance criterion for illumination levels in a reading room is 50 lux. This seems high. Is it correct? A. On page 288 of the QC manual, it states “the illumination levels should be 50 lux, or preferably less.” Much more is known now about the importance of low ambient lighting than at the time the manual was written. Even though the authors could not specify a lower number at the time, they did indicate that they would prefer the illuminance to be less than 50 lux. ■
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2001 MAY/JUNE 2003
Letter to the Editor Response to “The Future of Medical Physics is in Our Hands” John Smith Minneapolis, MN jdsmith@allina.com I am responding to the letter, “The Future of Medical Physics is in Our Hands,” from the March/April 2003 newsletter. I was struck by a sentence in this letter, “Medical physicists are expected to work longer hours than anyone else, and at a low pay.” I have read this sentence to friends and relatives with the fol-
lowing professions: therapist, dosimetrist, nurse, physician, auto mechanic, German consulate staff, police officer, computer programmer, public accountant, head of a factory, real estate agent, airline management (laid off), human resources manager, and university professor. With all but one profession the reaction was scoffing laughter. (The physician merely raised his eyebrows skeptically and asked, “In comparison to whom?”) (See Smith - p.16)
AAPM Virtual Library Corporate Affiliate Presentations We are pleased to announce the inclusion of AAPM Corporate Affiliates - Vendor Presentations in the AAPM Virtual Library AAPM recognizes the significant contributions to the field of medical physics our Corporate Affiliates provide. We welcome their inclusion in the AAPM Virtual Library and hope members will find these presentations a resource for learning about products, techniques, and company activities. AAPM Corporate Affiliates Presentations currently posted include
Impac Medical Systems, Inc. Varian Medical Systems We encourage you to view the presentations and learn more about our Corporate Affiliates
AAPM Virtual Library • www.aapm.org
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AAPM NEWSLETTER
MAY/JUNE 2003
Letter to the Editor Smith
(from p. 15)
I think there are two possible explanations for this: 1. I am such a poor worker that my friends and relatives think that whatever I make, I am overpaid. 2. The pay vs. work of physicists is not all that bad. I have chosen to believe the latter. I am currently asking my hospital for a raise because:
1. I receive well under the national average for physicists with my education and experience. 2. My working hours have increased due to IMRT and IVBT. 3. My hospital is reimbursed for my services many times what they pay me. I hope they will grant the raise. If they donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t I will have to decide between staying at a place that I
like, or perhaps working with one of the many recruiters that call offering work somewhere else. Either way, I will have to admit that I am lucky to be in a very wellpaid profession that I enjoy. After all, if I would choose to complain, who would listen? â&#x2013;
AAPM NEWSLETTER Editor, Allan F. deGuzman Managing Editor, Susan deGuzman Editorial Board, Arthur Boyer, Nicholas Detorie, Kenneth Ekstrand, Geoffrey Ibbott, C. Clifton Ling, Richard Morin
Please send submissions (with pictures when possible) to the editors at: e-mail: deguzman@wfubmc.edu (336)773-0537 Phone (336)716-7837 Fax 2340 Westover Drive, Winston-Salem, NC 27103
The AAPM Newsletter is printed bi-monthly. Next Issue: July/August 2003 Postmark Date: July 15 Deadline: June 15, 2003 AMERICAN ASSOCIATES OF PHYSICISTS IN MEDICINE
One Physics Ellipse College Park, Maryland 20740-3846 (301)209-3350 Phone (301)209-0862 Fax e-mail: aapm@aapm.org http://www.aapm.org
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