A nationwide medical program expected to benefit a million
Chinese women of target ages with discounted breast exams has been
suspended after excess radiation was found in the equipment
applied.
?
Beijing Times reports Xu Guangwei, a leading domestic
tumor expert and sponsor of the breast screening project, has
drafted a scheme aimed at equipping another 210 hospitals with
computed radiography (CR) devices used for the exams this year.
Xu said the exams will help diagnose breast cancer at an early
stage, which is good for treatment, but usually ignored by
people.
However, Xu's proposal will probably be refused because many
radiographers oppose CR technology, fearing unexpected excess x-ray
radiation.
Initiated in 2004, the project aimed to rein in the rising
number of patients and deaths from breast cancer in China. However,
the project only covered 30,526 people by the end of 2006. Less
than 40 hospitals had the device equipped after dissenting voices
became stronger and discouraged the government from installing
more.
The director of the radioprotection department of the Beijing
Municipal Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Lou Yun, is an
expert who objected to the project. He said the organization
doesn't oppose the checkups, but disagrees on the device used.
Lou revealed excess radiation during checkups by CR devices has
been found universally at the city's hospitals and even at medical
institutions rated excellent.
Some CR devices emit rays as much as seven to eight times of
those from a traditional device. Lou worried it may further trigger
the cancer in tested patients.
Besides sharing a general similarity with traditional X-ray film
systems, the CR system bears additional imaging and computing
systems that enable radiographers to adjust the definition of the
checkup picture as simply as people do on PCs with image
software.
It can also relieve radiographers of onerous work, since the
digital storage system in the apparatus can avoid frequent film
changing after every checkup.
However, the advantages would also be direct causes of over
radiation, a leading expert with the radioprotection department of
Beijing Municipal Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Du
Guosheng, said.
Du explained the storage system in the CR device mainly depends
on an IP board. An excess charge may happen if the board becomes
old while kept unchanged. The old board will leads to unclear
images, which can lead to radiographers blindly increasing the ray
dosages for better definition, Du said.
According to the department, most CR devices in Beijing
hospitals are operated with outdated IP boards.
Inadequate supervision on the CR device is another worry of
experts. Lou Yun said nearly all municipal hospitals failed to
implement regulations on the quality control and the use of the
device.
The report said the traditional X-ray film system is still
widely recognized in breast checkups around the world. Few brands
of CR devices have permits to enter the medical market, it
added.
(CRI February 24, 2007)