In this document the breast imaging committee intends to present what is considered best breast imaging practice at the time of development. The committee encourages best clinical practice and with the aid of these practice guidelines and consensus statements, hopes to provide radiologists as well as technologists, and other allied staff with a consensus-based approach to include clinical indications and technical standards for performing and interpreting breast imaging, as well as performing breast interventional procedures.
These guidelines are in accordance with those published by the Canadian and American Cancer Societies, the National Comprehensive Cancer Network and the American College of Radiology. Their purpose is to serve as an educational tool and provide minimum requirements to the practitioner; however, they are not intended to be inflexible. It is acknowledged that actions differing from those recommended may be appropriate depending upon resources available to the radiologist, patient factors, changes in technology and knowledge evolving after the publication of these
guidelines. Ultimately, the final judgment regarding appropriateness of a given examination or intervention for a particular patient is the responsibility of the supervising radiologist with aid from the medical physicist and technologist.
This version of the Guideline incorporates what were previously the Standards for Breast Imaging, Breast Ultrasound and Breast Interventional. New in this version are Breast MRI and brief discussions of several technologies and therapies which are new since the last Standards. The current Guideline is divided into Breast Imaging and Breast Intervention. As this version will likely be viewed electronically more than prior versions, we have included several links in a section at the end and also scattered within the document.