"No Good Reason Not to Protect Yourself Against Radiation"
Yesterday Dr. Oz spoke to critics who don’t agree with his recommendations to wear a leaded guard, also called a thyroid guard, when receiving a dental x-ray or mammogram. Back in September Dr. Oz told viewers that he believed that patients should ask for a guard to protect their thyroid from radiation any time either procedure was done. Dr. Oz also said that thyroid cancer was the fastest growing type of cancer among women and that studies have shown that people who have had 5 or more dental x-rays are 4 times more likely to develop thyroid cancer.
Women across America listened and took Dr. Oz’s advice. Doctors and dentists were overwhelmed with requests for thyroid guards and many disagreed with his recommendation. Critics began to say that thyroid guards were not necessary and in some cases caused the results of x-rays to be wrong. The Society of Breast Imaging released a statement saying that the concern is not supported in scientific literature.
As it turns out, the American Dental Association (ADA) already recommends that protective thyroid collars and aprons be used whenever possible. Ada Cooper, DDS was on the show today. Dr. Cooper said that although the amount of radiation one is exposed to from a dental x-ray is very low, the ADA recommends wearing protective collars simply as a means to reduce the amount of radiation one is exposed to to an even lower level.
Jocelyn Rapelyea, MD was also on today’s show. She is the co-director of George Washington University Breast Imaging Center. She said that she had not seen the Dr. Oz Show or heard Dr. Oz’s remarks on thyroid guards, but she said when people started coming in and asking for one, they were told how the radiation beam was not aimed at the thyroid and that the level of radiation was very low, and also wearing a guard might compromise the image. They did have the option of wearing a guard if they still desired one.
Daniel Kopans, MD, Professor of Radiology at Harvard Medical School also spoke, saying that the incidence of thyroid cancer has been going up since about 1980, but nobody knows why. He said that Dr. Oz might not realize it, but that thyroid cancer has been going up in men at the same rate as women. Since men don’t receive mammograms, be believes that radiation from mammograms has nothing to do with it. He also said that x-ray beams for mammograms are not directed toward the thyroid, and just while sitting in a room for an hour, a person receives more background radiation than a woman does from a mammogram.
Dr. Oz said that he still believes that we should do whatever we can to reduce exposure, and asked why we wouldn’t do the same for mammography. Once again Dr. Kopans said that the amount of radiation the breast receives is very small and that the thyroid doesn’t receive any radiation from the procedure at all. At this point Dr. Oz said that he does not agree and believes that the thyroid is exposed even if it is only a very small amount. He believes people should take precautions whenever possible.
Phil Evans, MD, Society of Breast Imaging President started out by thanking Dr. Oz for all the good work he does for women, saying it is also the goal of his profession. Dr. Evans explained that putting a shield on ran the risk of compromising the mammogram because of the thyroid shield getting in the way, which would then require it to be done over. At that point the woman would be exposed to twice as much radiation.
Dr. Rapelyea said that thyroid guards interfere with mammograms about 20% of the time. Dr. Oz responded that he would think a technician well skilled in mammography would be able to predict when a thyroid guard would cause interfence and would adjust it accordingly. Dr. Kopans said that it just adds one more item to the list of things the technician has to do. He also said that he was concerned that if women are worried about the risk of radiation received during a mammogram, it might keep them from having the life saving procedure.
Dr. Oz stressed how important receiving a mammogram is. Dr. Kopans said the death rate from breast cancer prior to 1990 had remained unchanged for 50 years until mammography screening became common in the mid 1980s. He said it’s now down by over 30%. He believes that all these little controversies are dissuading women from getting mammograms.
Dr. Oz said that if the hospital doesn’t have a thyroid guard, to go ahead and ask them to spend the $25 it takes to get one, but to still get a mammography. Dr. Oz said that he still doesn’t have a good reason not to protect yourself against radiation.