Annual Body Scans Should Americans

Annual Body Scans

Should Americans be required by insurance carriers to undergo annual screening tests such as whole body CT scans to scan for early detection of cancers and other diseases? Why or why not?"

Whole body CT scans are nothing if not controversial. Many experts believe annual whole body CT scans can help detect cancers and other diseases that might otherwise go undetected at annual exams. However, there is conflicting data as to the safety and usefulness of these scans, and, according to the FDA, there are currently no scientific studies underway that are studying the effectiveness and safety of these whole body scans (Editors).

It is interesting to note that many CT imaging companies, as a way to manage their health more effectively, are marketing these whole body scans directly to consumers, but the FDA has not approved these scans. Many of the companies marketing the scans, however, include information that they are "FDA approved," which is incorrect. However, consumers continue to be interested in the scans because they can detect many diseases earlier, and they can also assure the consumer that they are healthy each year. "First of all, a screening tool should be good at detecting a disease or condition in which early detection would make a difference in the outcome" (Dehn). CT scans are good at detecting some serious diseases, such as cancer, and not so good at detecting other diseases. Many experts believe that as technology improves, both the cost and reliability of whole body CT scans will improve, making them a more viable option for many patients and physicians.

While many Americans are looking forward to the peace of mind an annual whole body CT scan can bring, most agencies and experts do not support these exams. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) says, "At this time the FDA knows of no data demonstrating that whole-body CT screening is effective in detecting any particular disease early enough for the disease to be managed, treated, or cured and advantageously spare a person at least some of the detriment associated with serious illness or premature death" (Editors). In addition, the radiation doses contained in the CT scans can be especially harmful to people suffering from certain types of diseases, such as lung cancer, and they can be especially harmful to children, as well, so they are not recommended annually in these cases. Dr. Dehn continues, "[R]adiation exposure from CT scans should be taken into account, since a whole-body scan will expose the patient to a dose of radiation equivalent to 500 chest x-rays" (Dehn). Thus, annual whole body CT scans could put people at risk of many other problems from radiation, which would far outweigh the benefits of getting a whole body scan each year.

Finally, whole body CT scans can lead to two types of misdiagnosis, "(1) not diagnosing treatable disease that is present and (2) the detection of disease that is not present" (Dehn). This could lead to additional unnecessary tests to verify the diagnosis, and could also lead to additional pain and anguish for a patient who had to undergo additional tests that ultimately were proven unnecessary. This could also lead to increased health care costs, on top of the costly whole body scans themselves.