Whole-Body CT Screening
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What is CT imaging? What is it
used for?
CT stands for Computed
Tomography. It can also be called
CAT for Computerized Axial
Tomography. CT imaging is a way of
using X-rays to get “pictures” of the
inside of the body. It may help to
find disease or health problems.
What is whole-body CT screening?
Some clinics offer a new use of CT
called whole-body CT screening. It
claims to find disease when people
have no symptoms.
What Are the Risks and Benefits of Whole-Body CT Screening?
Possible Harm
- CT scans expose you to radiation. There is a small risk of getting cancer
from radiation.
- The pictures might show something that is not really there. This may alarm
you for no reason.
- The pictures might show something unusual that turns out not to be a
problem. This can also worry you for no reason.
Possible Benefit
A CT scan can help you if it shows
something that is really a problem.
If it finds a hidden, serious disease it can be helpful, but only if:
- There is a treatment that works.
- The disease is found early enough for you to benefit from the treatment.
Should I Have a Whole-Body CT Screening?
No. You may be thinking about having a whole-body scan even if you have no
symptoms. You might be thinking, "For my peace of mind, I just want to know that
I don't have any diseases now."
You may have heard that a whole-body CT scan or screen is a good idea for
healthy people who have no symptoms. But the FDA does not agree.
The FDA Has Not Approved CT Screening for Healthy People
- The
FDA have never approved CT scans for the whole body when there are no signs of
disease.
- Claims that FDA has approved
whole-body screening are wrong.
- There is no proof that wholebody
CT scans can find any health
problems early enough for it to be
treated or cured.
- There is no proof that a CT scan
can stop serious illness or early
death.
To learn more:
FDA Center for Devices and Radiological Health
www.fda.gov/cdrh/ct/index.html
Article from the FDA Consumer magazine
(November-December 2001) "Full-Body CT Scans: What You Need to Know,"
FDA Office of Women’s Health
www.fda.gov/womens
2007