CT scans

[HannahBenson]

Hi...I have ABPA and am taking anti fungal,,,lowering my Prednisone etc. My pulmonologist ordered a CT scan last month and I had one in February. He wants me to get another...I think soon...not sure but how often should anyone get a CT scan? I was told once a year at first and then every 6 mos. when I was dealing with infections from asthma and Bronchiectasis...now he is mentioning I need another CT...that would make it 3 since February. Is this normal? Maybe this type of CT is just a quick scan and does not expose you to as much. Does anyone have CTs regularly?

Hannah

[GAtherton Administrator Fungal Infection Trust]

CT scans expose patients to a small amount of radiation, more than a standard x-ray and there are detectable but very low levels of harm caused by each scan, so you are right that their use is minimised. To give you an idea of the level of harm caused by a CT scan, a full chest scan has been estimated to cause one extra case of cancer in 1000 people over their lifetimes. These figures tend to be when using older scanners and of course, newer scanners are much better at using the minimum effective dose of xray which will minimise harm and minimise cancer risk.

One case of cancer is, of course, one case too many, but consider the risk of cancer we all carry every day and compare that with the additional risk a scan gives us. To give you some ideas how low that additional risk is, the average chance of any of us getting cancer before having a scan is about 500 in 1000. The chance of any of us getting cancer after a scan is about 501 in 1000. The ADDITIONAL risk is 0.2%.

Doctors have to consider this additional risk every time that order a scan and balance the very small increased risk with the benefit the scan will bring to your treatment.

[nnanyamka]

Cat scans are extremely toxic to the body. Every time you are exposed to the enormous amount of radiation it emits, the cells experience destabilization through the release of free radicals which increase your risk of cancer. they are costly- priced from 300-5,000 dollars and create a large revenue stream for hospitals. It is a 100billion/yr industry alone. 1 abdominal cat scan exposes 1 to 10 millisieverts (mSv) of radiation, equivalent to 200 chest x-rays/ 1500 dental x-rays. Anyone who advocates for the safe use/ minimizes the high risks associated w/ such radioactive tools may be biased in favor of medical financial gains rather than objective in favor of increasing the health of the patient. MRIs are safer and more detailed. Keep in mind that the medical profession has become a very profitable business and any health gained from the protocols are womderful, but , unfortunately a by-product of the first priority- profit.