Posted on 08/31/2004 9:16:22 AM PDT by Hal1950
WASHINGTON: A new study has revealed that a full- body computed tomography (CT) scan, could increase the risk of cancer mortality.
According to the study, published in the journal Radiology, the increasing popularity of full-body CT screening has raised concerns regarding the radiation-related cancer mortality risk associated with full-body CT radiation exposure.
"Our research provides definitive evidence that radiation risk is associated with full-body CT scans. The radiation dose from a full-body CT scan is comparable to the doses received by some of the atomic-bomb survivors from Hiroshima and Nagasaki, where there is clear evidence of increased cancer risk," said David J. Brenner, Ph.D., D.Sc., lead author of the study and professor of radiation oncology and public health at Columbia University in New York City.
The study found that a 45-year-old person who underwent one full-body CT screening would have an estimated lifetime cancer mortality risk of approximately 0.08 percent, which would produce cancer in one in 1,200 people. However, a 45-year-old who has annual full-body CT scans for 30 years would accrue an estimated lifetime cancer mortality risk of about 1.9 percent or almost one in 50.
"The risk-benefit equation changes dramatically for adults who are referred for CT exams for medical diagnosis. Diagnostic benefits far outweigh the risks," Dr. Brenner said.
"In addition to the radiation risks demonstrated in this report, elective full-body CT may provide false-positive findings when no disease exists. This typically involves more extensive testing, which is costly and stressful," Dr. Brenner added.
Researchers said that the risk from ongoing, elective CT screenings could be reduced by increasing the time between scans or by starting at a later age.
OK, but what does that mean? People 100 feet from ground zero? 1,000 yards? 100 miles? Can anyone express the dose in something the layman can understand like "the same as n,nnn chest x-rays"? Are they talking about the equipment in use now or the earliest models? Is there a different way of getting a full body scan? is there a method we should be asking for? or a method we should be refusing?
Ping
Doctors absolutely hate the advent of shopping mall CT scans. It reduces their product to a mere commodity (in a shopping mall! Next to the Orange Julius!) and gives consumers control of their own medical investigation.
> ... full- body computed tomography (CT) scan,
> could increase the risk of cancer mortality.
OK, so why not get a full-body MRI instead?
And why doesn't the article mention this?
Do you have FULL BODY CT scans every 6 months to check for recurrence of your kidney cancer?
The medical-industrial complex is more insidious than the "military-industrial complex".
Is the associated cancer incidents due to more effective searches or due to the CT procedures itself?
I would propose the success of CT tests are more the reality.
But if it saves just ONE life it's worth it. right?
Huh! That theory only applies to banning guns?
Never mind. (/sarcasm)
And I'm scheduled to get one next week. That sucks.
;^)
I've got my suspicions too. All the ads about these go on about the extremely low doses involved.
Just terrific. I've had 3.
Wow. I know. Just had another one in July. I sure didn't have any scans prior to discovering I had cancer.
"Is the associated cancer incidents due to more effective searches or due to the CT procedures itself? I would propose the success of CT tests are more the reality."
It appears that the mortality (not incidence) increase is just an estimate of future mortality based on the radiation exposure. This makes sense, since screening full-body CT scans have not been done long enough to acutally track any change in cancer incidence or mortality. BTW, these are called "full-body scams" by many radiologists, who realize the inappropriateness of the procedure.
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