Contact: Heather Woolwine
843.792.7669
woolwinh@musc.edu
July 30, 2007
Charleston -- In the current issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, a study entitled "Estimating risk of cancer associated with radiation exposure from 64-slice computed tomography coronary angiography" calculates the theoretical risk of developing cancer from radiation applied during CT (computed tomography) of the heart. The publication of this article heightened public awareness concerning radiation exposure and lends additional justification to the endeavors of Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) physicians to ensure the appropriate use of this test and to further more sophisticated CT scanner use.
MUSC was among five institutions nationwide to start operation of the most advanced scanner generation, the Dual-Source CT, which combines the functions of two 64-slice CT scanners. This dual scanner enables an unprecedented temporal resolution, or "shutter-speed," to obtain crisp and clear images of the heart. More importantly, this scanner features novel and sophisticated approaches to further lower radiation. Depending on the patientís body type and heart rate, the radiation dose can be significantly lowered ‚ sometimes to about one-fifth of the exposure of previous scanner generations. This means that radiation from a CT scan of the heart roughly equals the exposure that every American receives each year from environmental sources, according to Joseph Schoepf, M.D., MUSC Department of Radiology.
While a direct connection between radiation applied during medical imaging tests and cancer has never been established, various researchers have tried to calculate the risk of cancer from any type of radiation, largely based on data from the A-bomb survivors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. "The need to keep radiation as low as possible is based on the concern that even low level radiation has the potential to cause cancer," Schoepf said. "Although radiation exposure from a CT scan of the heart is far too low to result in any direct effects on the human body, MUSC doctors have always striven to keep radiation exposure to patients as low as reasonably achievable, while maintaining sufficient diagnostic accuracy."
Schoepf helped develop CT of the heart nationwide during the last decade. He has published several books and more than 100 articles on this topic.
About MUSC
Founded in 1824 in Charleston, The Medical University of South Carolina is the oldest medical school in the South. Today, MUSC continues the tradition of excellence in education, research, and patient care. MUSC educates and trains more than 3,000 students and residents, and has nearly 10,000 employees, including 1,300 faculty members. As the largest non-federal employer in Charleston, the university and its affiliates have collective annual budgets in excess of $1.3 billion. MUSC operates a 600-bed medical center, which includes a nationally recognized Children's Hospital and a leading Institute of Psychiatry. For more information on academic information or clinical services, visit www.musc.edu or www.muschealth.com.
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