13 research outputs found
Yes to early detection of cancer - no to routine mammography examinations. Parting from wishful thinking, turning to new strategies
Many experts find it difficult to accept what experience has shown, namely that routine mammography examinations have lowered neither the breast cancer fatality rate nor the crude death rate. One aspect that has been neglected in propagating screenings is the high radiation sensitivity of genetically predisposed females (0.5% - 1.0%). These females should not be exposed to repeated X-rays for screening purposes. True preventive measures, which promise significant effects, include the avoidance of radiation exposure, especially during the early stages of life, and a restrictive use of oestrogen substitution therapies
Laser Treatment of Leg Veins
Damaged venous valves result in varicose or spider vein formation. Commonly, venous obstruction is caused by increased pressure of reverse blood flow within the superficial venous valve or from direct traumatic injury to the vein
Cancer and non-cancer brain and eye effects of chronic low-dose ionizing radiation exposure
<p>Abstract</p> <p><b>Background</b></p> <p>According to a fundamental law of radiobiology (âLaw of BergoniĂ© and Tribondeauâ, 1906), the brain is a paradigm of a highly differentiated organ with low mitotic activity, and is thus radio-resistant. This assumption has been challenged by recent evidence discussed in the present review.</p> <p><b>Results</b></p> <p>Ionizing radiation is an established environmental cause of brain cancer. Although direct evidence is lacking in contemporary fluoroscopy due to obvious sample size limitation, limited follow-up time and lack of focused research, anecdotal reports of clusters have appeared in the literature, raising the suspicion that brain cancer may be a professional disease of interventional cardiologists. In addition, although terminally differentiated neurons have reduced or mild proliferative capacity, and are therefore not regarded as critical radiation targets, adult neurogenesis occurs in the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus and the olfactory bulb, and is important for mood, learning/memory and normal olfactory function, whose impairment is a recognized early biomarker of neurodegenerative diseases. The head doses involved in radiotherapy are high, usually above 2 Sv, whereas the low-dose range of professional exposure typically involves lifetime cumulative whole-body exposure in the low-dose range of < 200 mSv, but with head exposure which may (in absence of protection) arrive at a head equivalent dose of 1 to 3 Sv after a professional lifetime (corresponding to a brain equivalent dose around 500 mSv).</p> <p><b>Conclusions</b></p> <p>At this point, a systematic assessment of brain (cancer and non-cancer) effects of chronic low-dose radiation exposure in interventional cardiologists and staff is needed.</p