BMJ  2007;335:1182-1184 (8 December), doi:10.1136/bmj.39415.528623.AD

Feature

Computed tomography screening

Better safe than sorry?

¹ London

A review this week estimated that computed tomography is responsible for 2% of all cancers in the US. Zosia Kmietowicz asks whether the increasing private use of this technique for screening is a good idea

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

There can be few doctors who haven’t had at least one patient ask them about the value of health screening tests using computed tomography in the past few months. Look up momentarily from the pavement or your seat on public transport and it is highly likely you will catch a glimpse of an advertising hoarding promoting state of the art diagnostic machinery for an all over health check.

"Beat your silent killers" with scans tailored to your individual needs, say the websites of the clinics offering screening services. Some clinics even offer a reduction for loyalty, with repeat scans at a discount. Keep reading and the stories of early diagnoses that would otherwise have gone unnoticed can trigger worrying thoughts about what disease you could be harbouring—and make even long suffering NHS stalwarts reach for a credit card.

The clinics offer an array of preventive medical examinations. As well as . . . [Full text of this article]

Official opinion

Radiation exposure

Psychological harm

Other screening services

Regulation

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This article has been cited by other articles:

• Davis, A. (2008). Better radiology in the BMJ. BMJ 336: 628-628 [Full text]  
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Rapid Responses:

Read all Rapid Responses

Date for publication of COMARE report

Zosia Kmietowicz
bmj.com, 7 Dec 2007 [Full text]

Victim of Medical Investigative Technology

U Shaikh, et al.
bmj.com, 11 Dec 2007 [Full text]