Share |

Wednesday 16 December 2009

CAT scans, mammograms: Be aware of the risks - Anil Netto

Just a little public service announcement regarding what they don’t usually tell you.

Beware the cancer risk of CAT scans. Also read up on the raging debate sparked by a federally funded US task force of physicians which found that the benefits of regular mammography for women between 40 and 50 are outweighed by the risks.

I have always wondered why cancer is on the rise. Might not some of the cancer cases be due to tests/scans like these?

This from the Wall Street Journal:

The risk of cancer associated with popular CT scans appears to be greater than previously believed, according to two new studies published Monday in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

The findings support caution against the overuse of CT scans and other medical technologies that use radiation. The studies also bolstered the rationale behind controversial new breast-cancer screening guidelines, which pushed back the recommended age for annual mammograms to 50 from 40. Mammograms also use radiation, but in smaller doses. Full article here.

No comments: