GantiB said:

I have worked in Radiotherapy in the UK for many years, and am currently an Oncology Quality Manager, with a special interest in RT errors. Having read extensively about the error which kicked off this thread, the conclusion the quality forum I belong to arrived at is that it could not have happened in the UK. The RT culture is very different here. The professional therapy radiographers at the sharp end of treatment delivery are just that – professionals, rather than just technicians doing what they are instructed, which is teh US model. My understanding is that in NY, the radiation technicians, although able to do so, did not observe the screen displaying the non-existent MLCs because no-one thought they needed to, the plan having been authorised by a medical physicist. This relates to the heirarchy at play.
No system is failsafe, and the more complex and multi-step it is, the more opportunities for elements to fail. The trick is to catch them before they turn into treatment errors. Empowering those tasked with pushing the button with responsibility for the final check is the UK approach.

I have to take issue with this, and referring to it as the “US model.”

The majority of technicians in the US operate these machines with excellent training and all therapy is conducted under the supervision and by the prescription of doctors. Nobody touches these devices without being certified and licensed and there’s oversight on the state and federal level.

Over one million patients are treated with radiation every year in the US.

There have been deaths in the UK due to simple human error or combined human error and technical issues. A 16 year old received 17 overdoses before anyone noticed That’s a recent well known example. there are others.

Not that I’m calling British radiotherapy unsafe, mind you. I’m sure that taken as a whole these accidents are extremely rare. It’s not 100% safe though. No system is

        drbuzz0 said:

I am aware of this “study.”

It is no based on actual collected data on cancer incidence. It’s an entirely hypothetical presumption based on some ridiculously simple logic and a hypothesis that has failed to accurately reflect real world observations.

In fact, I already wrote a post about it – some time ago, actually:

http://depletedcranium.com/scaremongering-cancer-and-medical-imaging/

Soon data will be coming out from the FDA about how many patients were overdosed by a cat scan at Huntsville Hospital and there are many – over years. Is it similar across the nation? Probably – so many hospitals cover it up and continue, and some don’t even know that they are overdosing patients.

The FDA wants to study these people. I received 6 Gray in one dose over a year ago and am still suffering, so I know that my body is badly damaged. Will I get cancer? I already develped squamous cell carcinoma since the scan. I can’t help but believe that the cat scan had something to do with it. My immune system?? I don’t know. I had a diagnostic brain perfusion scan that I really didn’t need to begin with. There was nothing wrong with my brain, BEFORE the scan. I do know about me.

        JC said:

Computerized tomography (CT) medical scans cause at least 29,000 cases of cancer and 14,500 deaths in the United States every year, according to a study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

Shocking as this figure is, a second study published in the same issue and conducted by researchers from the University of California-San Francisco suggests that the reality may actually be much worse.

I am aware of this “study.” It is no based on actual collected data on cancer incidence. It’s an entirely hypothetical presumption based on some ridiculously simple logic and a hypothesis that has failed to accurately reflect real world observations.

In fact, I already wrote a post about it – some time ago, actually:

http://depletedcranium.com/scaremongering-cancer-and-medical-imaging/

        JC said:

Probably the GE and the hospital are both at fault.
Computerized tomography (CT) medical scans cause at least 29,000 cases of cancer and 14,500 deaths in the United States every year, according to a study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

Shocking as this figure is, a second study published in the same issue and conducted by researchers from the University of California-San Francisco suggests that the reality may actually be much worse.

Please post the reference

        drbuzz0 said:

That does not necessarily make it GE’s fault if the equipment was not setup or operated properly.

You can’t blame Toyota or Ford if someone uses bad judgment driving and causes an accident.

Probably the GE and the hospital are both at fault.
Computerized tomography (CT) medical scans cause at least 29,000 cases of cancer and 14,500 deaths in the United States every year, according to a study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

Shocking as this figure is, a second study published in the same issue and conducted by researchers from the University of California-San Francisco suggests that the reality may actually be much worse.

        JC said:

We know the amount of radiation was huge because of the hospital dose report or there would not be a case. It is also stated in the court file,”As result of the scan Ms. Henry was suffering from multiple myeloma.” The “alleges” refers to the negligence of GE.
We will see if the jury believes there is proof.

That does not necessarily make it GE’s fault if the equipment was not setup or operated properly.

You can’t blame Toyota or Ford if someone uses bad judgment driving and causes an accident.

        DV82XL said:

The complaint alleges that CT imaging machines manufactured and sold by General Electric emitted unsafe levels of radiation. Henry alleges that as a result of GE’s negligence, she was exposed to unsafe levels of radiation when she underwent radiological CT scanning at a hospital in 2004. Henry alleges that the CT scan emitted unsafe levels of radiation, which caused multiple myeloma, a type of cancer that is linked to radiation poisoning.

Note the use of the word “alleges”

We know the amount of radiation was huge because of the hospital dose report or there would not be a case. It is also stated in the court file,”As result of the scan Ms. Henry was suffering from multiple myeloma.” The “alleges” refers to the negligence of GE.
We will see if the jury believes there is proof.

        JC said:

Etta Henry was over radiated from a Cat Scan at Huntsville Hospital (in Alabama) in February 2004. She now has multiple myeloma, a cancer known to be caused by radiation.

The complaint alleges that CT imaging machines manufactured and sold by General Electric emitted unsafe levels of radiation. Henry alleges that as a result of GE’s negligence, she was exposed to unsafe levels of radiation when she underwent radiological CT scanning at a hospital in 2004. Henry alleges that the CT scan emitted unsafe levels of radiation, which caused multiple myeloma, a type of cancer that is linked to radiation poisoning.

Note the use of the word “alleges”

        DV82XL said:

Prove just one.

Hysterical claims like yours based on ignorance are meaningless and have nothing to back them up. The question is why should anyone believe anything you say without supporting evidence other than your assertions, and reject the opinions of the medical community?

Have there been accidents with medical radiation treatments? Yes. There have been accidents with pharmaceutical treatments, and accidents in the operating theatre, and misdiagnosis in the general practitioner’s office. In fact each of these other areas have been the source of more medicine related deaths than medical radiation ever has. Are we then proposing that all of medicine be abandoned in favour of doing nothing?

We accept risk in everything we do, and balance it against the potential gain. So far medical radiation, in all its manifestations has done more good than harm. Unless it can be proven otherwise by numbers, these criticisms are little more than fearmongering.

Etta Henry was over radiated from a Cat Scan at Huntsville Hospital (in Alabama) in February 2004. She now has multiple myeloma, a cancer known to be caused by radiation.