The full body scan is an important medical tool for diagnosing and preventing disease. However, there are known to be radiation risks which are of concern to those people getting a total body scan. Doctors and their patients must carefully weigh the risk of radiation exposure with the risk of undetected disease when determining whether or not a full body scan is in the best interest of the patient.
One recent study assessed the overall risk to the adult patient when getting a full body PET/CT scan. The study showed that there was less than a two percent cancer incidence caused by the use of the full body scan. This is considered to be a risk that is minimal but one that patients should be aware of when getting a full body scan.
In many cases, the patient may seek to avoid the risk by using different types of imaging other than the full body scan. A qualified preventive imaging doctor can advise the patient as to which areas of the body should be screened for maintaining optimum health while keeping radiation exposure low.
Question of the Day: How would you make the decision about whether or not to risk radiation exposure in order to prevent disease?
