CAT scan machines: no fun and possibly dangerous?
The test used to detect cancer may also cause it. Little surprise there. In yet another one of life’s twisted schemes, the things that help us often turn out to be the things that hurt us.
According to recent reports, radiation from CAT scans is higher than previously thought and could be linked to increased cancer risk.
The cruel reality, though, is that for cancer patients — especially newbies like me — CAT scans are a regular part of life.
I get one every three months.
And when my doctor wants to gauge how well a drug is working.
And whenever my CA-125 — a protein found in ovarian cancer cells — is high.
And when I feel especially sick.
And, well, all the damn time.
Even for those in remission, CAT scans are a necessary part of staying cancer free. Generally, the protocol is a CAT scan every three months, then every six months for the first five years after treatment ends, and then once a year. Cancer and CAT scans go together like chemo and collapsed veins.
So what caused investigators to raise the alarm now? The report cited two reasons: Over the last two decades, the number of patients undergoing CAT scans has increased dramatically, from 3 million in 1980 to 70 million in 2007. That’s a heck of a lot of X-rays. Enough to cause concern within the medical community.
Equally alarming, the study noted, are all the unnecessary scans that have been going down. Allegedly, they’ll lead to 29,000 new cancer diagnoses this year, most of which will result from scans of the abdomen and pelvis — the only kind I get.
I’m starting to wonder what’s left in the world that isn’t potentially cancerous. From medical procedures to microwaves, there seems to be an unlimited number of cancer-causing agents.
Not long ago, I was talking to a professor whose book I’m editing. He’s a pretty fit 70-year-old who has been running marathons and eating healthy for the better part of his life. We met for lunch in Manhattan to talk business, and he couldn’t decide what to order. When I suggested that he try the smoked salmon salad, which I get all the time, he told me it was filled with carcinogens. Something about the smoking process, he began to explain, but I promptly checked out of the convo, because I eat smoked salmon all the time.
In fact, on a trip to Alaska in July, I’m sure I put away several pounds of the fatty, unctuous fish. Should I consider eliminating that, too?
Nah.
I’ve concluded, salmon fishers will be happy to know, that I should no more give up the foods I love than I should my quarterly X-rays. In my case, the benefits of both surely outweigh the harm.
And although that’s not true for the thousands who might be diagnosed with cancer as a result of radiation exposure, until some new and improved method of finding and monitoring malignant tumors is discovered, we’re left with few options besides limiting the number of scans we undergo.
That’s certainly my plan for 2010. Because as per my last X-ray images, I have no visible signs of the disease, which means I won’t be the CAT scan queen for much longer. The number of appointments I’ll have next year that involve exposing my organs to radiation should max out at two tops. And that’s fine by me. I’m more than happy to renounce my title.
9 Comments
December 21, 2009 at 7:43 pm
I have been telling you for over a year that more women die than are every saved because of the radiation exposure for mammograms, MRI and CT scans. I encourage you and your group to look into thermography. It is FDA approved for 25 years for early detection for breast cancer. The best aspect no pain or pressure and it is radiation free. Don’t believe the lies that MD’s and ACS will report there are no alternatives and no other proven methods. It is misinformation. By the time they report the negative findings so many women could have been saved. We can start to screen women in there 20’s without any harmful effects. Wow we could make a difference with cancer.
December 22, 2009 at 1:10 am
Sounds like thermography is worth checking out
December 23, 2009 at 8:45 pm
I love it. I’m so glad to hear you have virtually slayed the beast.
December 23, 2009 at 10:27 pm
What a wonderful holiday present to learn that your scans appear clean. I am very happy and look forward to joining you.
December 23, 2009 at 10:51 pm
Ditto!
December 24, 2009 at 4:53 am
beautifully written.
December 27, 2009 at 6:43 pm
Chana,
The news about your health is the best holiday present ever! Here’s to a healthy 2010.
You’re the best!
January 12, 2010 at 3:07 pm
The cat scan thing is scary. I had to go to the er this summer and they wouldn’t give me a cat scan. They’re cutting back on them.
February 9, 2010 at 2:51 pm
It’s amazing more people do not know the terrible risks involved in CT and octeoscan. The dyes themselves are risky, not to mention the other exposure. My daughter had cancer up until age 5…congenital, born with it due to my Army exposure to radiation, teratogenic chemical agents and drinking barracks water 8 time the legal threshold of the uppermost limit of safety. After she was marked as ‘cured’ at age 5, I stopped letting her do scans when she was 6…pooh-pooh to the oncologist tsk’ing. My impetus: my favourite aunt had DCIS which metastasized enormously after she did bimonthly scanning for a year. That was enough for me to spare my little girl the horror of rebattling of the dreaded disease we had just fought a horrific fight with, only winning by the skins of our teeth.
I know for certain echelons of survivors there is no other choice in diagnostics for prognosis and subsequent treatment choices, but certainly there should be other options available for those who believe such as I; that CT scans and such irradiative diagnostic techniques are not the healthiest of tests. I’ve wondered recently why couldn’t there be a chemical bloodmarker test that could be developed specifically for diagnosis of occurence/reoccurence of each and any type of cancer based partly on each cancer’s inherent antigen blueprint?
There’s gotta be a solution to this issue. I’m in support of genetic funding for this kind of stuff.