Processing of mammographic films

Sensitometrically preexposed film strips and clinical mammograms obtained with single-emulsion Kodak Ortho M and double emulsion Kodak T-Mat M II films were proposed in film processors set up for standard and extended-process cycles. Radiation dose reductions of approximately 30% for Ortho M film and 13% for T-Mat M II film were obtained in the extended-process cycle. Higher film contrast for optical densities between 0.30 and 2.70 was obtained in the extended-process cycle for Ortho M film. Film contrast for T-Mat M II films was comparable in both processes. In the mammogram comparisons, the higher contrast images obtained with Ortho M film in the extended-process cycle allowed for improved demonstration of the marginal structural characteristics of soft-tissue masses and better differentiation of benign and malignant tumors. For the T-Mat M II mammograms, there was no improvement clinically for mammograms processed in the extended-process cycle