FDA inspects Incirlik mammography dept.

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Lauren Padden
  • 39th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
INCIRLIK AIR BASE, Turkey --  The 39th Medical Group mammography department underwent a U.S. Food and Drug Administration inspection April 21- 22. 

The inspection, conducted by Terry Bolen, FDA radiological health specialist, ensured the mammography office's machine is meets FDA standards, as well as ensuring the technician adheres to those standards. The inspection examined the quality control manuals of the shop and ensured none of the patient's appointments "fall through the cracks." 

"My job in this inspection was to ensure the technician is qualified to operate the mammography machine, the equipment is operating properly and quality control checks are administered on schedule," said Mr. Bolen. "If any of those variables are inaccurate, the patient's results might reveal something that is, in fact, not there." 

If these FDA inspections are not completed annually the incorrect results could have devastating emotional effects on a patient. 

According to Mr. Bolen, if the machine does not operate properly the view becomes distorted and physicians may make a misdiagnosis. 

"If you are not keeping your unit clean, it could be a speck of dust and the doctor would say it looks like cancer, now you have a wrong diagnosis and undue anxiety for your patient." 

Realizing the importance of a correct diagnosis, Congress made these inspections an annual requirement Oct. 1, 1994. 

"The training requirements set by the FDA require the mammography technician to have 15 hours of continuing education in breast imaging every three years and to see at least 200 patients every two years," said Airman 1st Class Katherine Ferguson, 39th Medical Group lead mammogram technician. 

Airman Ferguson is the only mammography technician on base. 

After taking images of the patient, she sends them to a radiologist stationed at Aviano Air Base, Italy, through the Picture Archiving Communication System. 

"Every Monday I run a quality control test and send it to Aviano," she said. "Once it is cleared through Aviano I can begin seeing patients." 

This process is easily done because of the equipment in the 39th MDG. 

After using a mammography machine to take an image, the film is placed in a digital processing unit that only Incirlik and Offutt Air Force Base, Neb., currently use. This latest device then allows the image to be seen on the computer screen and saved. Thus, eliminating the need to process the negatives in chemicals saving time and money. 

Not only is the digital processing unit saving time and money, it also provides a high definition digital photo. 

"With this unit providing a more sensitive image than film, we can see more information in the breast tissue than we used to," said Airman Ferguson. "We are able to see more fibers and are able to catch smaller things faster." 

None of this technology is important however without monthly personal breast exams starting at adolescence or an annual mammography appointment for women over 40. 

For more information on how to perform a breast self-exam or to make a mammography appointment, Incirlik personnel may contact their primary care manager. 

The results of this inspection will be released at a later date.