Body Scans for Healthy People?
Is it a mistake for doctors to offer full-body CT scans for people who do not have disease symptoms? Yes, says UAB radiologist Robert Stanley, M.D., president of the American Roentgen Ray Society. CT (computed tomography) scans use x-rays to look at the body in thin slices and commonly are used to find cancer, among other conditions. "When you're looking for tumors millimeter-by-millimeter, you're going to find them. However, these tumors are rarely cancerous or rarely develop into full-blown cancer." The downside to this health fad includes unnecessary worry after a positive finding, cost of the scan and subsequent invasive tests, and the "significant" radiation burden produced by CT body scans.
Contact Hank Black, Media Radiation, 205-934-8938 or [email protected].
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