Radiate me NOT

Well, how interesting for me that two issues I have oft addressed appear in the same news story!

The issues are colon cancer screening and radiation from medical testing.

I am very concerned about exposure to radiation and do not believe that we should submit ourselves to a CT scan every time something hurts nor do I think that CT scans or x rays should be used as preventative devices or screening tools. This has long been my stance – five years at least.

It has only been in the past year however that the concern about use of radiation and the adverse consequences – cancer- has been gaining momentum. The FDA has been called upon to look into this matter, especially after the incidents of acute radiation poisoning that occurred in California this past year. The FDA began an exploratory review this week. As I have said before, of great concern is the frequency of scans that occur over a lifespan. The current under age 30 population has had and will have a lot more access to this type of radiation than the over 60 population. Because the scans begin earlier, are used more often and are used over lifetimes, the risk of cancer (and that cancer does not occur immediately after an Xray, but often in the next decade) is significant. We do not have time to wait until our children are middle aged and terminally ill before addressing the issue. The FDA can weigh the evidence and make a statement with regard to the use of CT scan and other medical radiation.

As you know, the FDA has to approve medications and medical devices. They usually convene expert panels to review a new product and then take those recommendations into consideration when making a final decision. After which, that medicine or device can be used as a clinician sees fit, but can only be advertised or marketed to treat what the FDA approved it to treat or test. I had known this, but had not made the same “off label” connection in my mind when it comes to devices.

This brings me to the second issue. Colon or colorectal cancer is one that can be prevented if polyps that might turn cancerous are found and removed. The gold standard for this screening is the colonoscopy. In case you haven’t heard, that involves being sedated while a tiny camera searches your colon or intestines – the day before your test you are told to drink a beverage referred to as bowel prep – in other words, you clean yourself out. The day before is said to be worse than the procedure itself. The colonoscopy is generally recommended at age 50. Enter the virtual colonoscopy – I have described it elsewhere. I have been vocal in my hopes that the virtual colonoscopy or something like it will be perfected and accepted for use prior to my 50th birthday. I have, in my explanation of it, promoted it – in a way. but for the small fact that it involves a CT scan.

Back to the story. The FDA began addressing the radiation issue as a former FDA employee spoke out about his job loss possibly related to his refusal to go along with a recommendation for the CT scanner to be used for colon cancer screening. The device maker would be the one asking for the new FDA approval so that they could begin marketing the machine for this test. Dr. Julian Nicholas has been vocal in his concern that the amount of radiation that people are exposed to is NOT an acceptable amount. He contends that we certainly do not need to add another source, especially because we have an accurate test for this condition that does not use ANY radiation. He has also stated that 1.5 to 2% of all cancers are related to CT scanning. I was pretty shocked because in reading the story, it seemed that the manufacturer of the device had been putting a lot of pressure on the FDA in general, to get it approved.

I expect that we will hear more about radiation in medical testing as the year progresses and the scientists, under additional scrutiny for possible industry ties and bias, look into the matter.

At this time, I do want to clarify that I would NOT take the virtual colonoscopy over the standard version unless it did not involve any radiation.

Also, I have spoken out against airport scanners and tanning beds, but not laser therapy. Why would I? I am not sure, but when I was at a “spa” to get a message, I saw a sign on a door behind which people were getting laser hair removal and the sign warned of radiation! So I have to look into that one.

The FDA does have information on all devices that emit radiation and I invite you to check it out. I have to say that I was unaware of the link until today and am just fascinated by all the different devices that emit radiation. Click on some of the tabs when you go to this site. There are tables that divide the products by use and by radiation type. You can learn about risks and benefits of each procedure as well. I have forgotten about cell phones, but they are here. Also you can find information on laser therapy and laser lights, like in an electronic pointer. Tanning beds and MRI machines are also on the list. In fact, I noticed that ultrasounds were listed as well and that made me wonder if the traditional colonoscopy did expose us to some amount of radiation. I still am unclear – in that I do not know what is used to see the “movie” during the colonoscopy. However, the ultrasound machines use non ionizing radiation which is not the kind linked to cancer. Of course, in light of what Dr. Nicholas was offering today, I can’t be confident that the safety information provided here is trustworthy.