By Hilary Shapiro-Wright, MD
Dr. Shapiro-Wright is a board certified surgeon who is fellowship-trained in breast surgery.
In the recent past Dr. Oz spoke about the increased likelihood of developing thyroid cancer in women due to radiation exposure received during mammograms. This is NOT true. Currently there is no scientific literature or studies available to support this claim.
The American College of Radiology and Society of Breast Imaging released a statement in response to Dr. Oz’s claim which states that “For annual screening mammography from ages 40-80, the cancer risk from this tiny amount of radiation scattered to the thyroid is incredibly small (less than 1 in 17.1 million women screened).”
Dr. Oz suggested that patients undergoing mammography request a thyroid shield to be used during the procedure to protect the thyroid from scattered rays of radiation. One should keep in mind however, that the extremely low risk of the development of thyroid cancer should be balanced with the understanding of the risks associated with the usage of a thyroid shield. Risks of the thyroid shield can include: interference with optimal positioning, result in error(s) to the images, or even possibly block important anatomy such as breast tissue near the armpit not allowing possible cancers to be visualized. All of these factors could reduce the quality of the image and interfere with diagnosis.
Just like anything else in medicine a physician must balance the risks and benefits to determine what is best for their patients. At this time, with no proven scientific literature available, the extremely low risk of the development of thyroid cancer secondary to radiation exposure during mammography, and the possibility of altering images to cause missed diagnosis of breast cancer I don’t feel the benefits outweigh the risks.
For patients who request thyroid shields at the time of mammography, they must keep in mind and be informed of the risks. Patients should always be encouraged to discuss any concerns they have, including those of X-ray exposure during procedures, with their healthcare providers.
References:
American College of Radiology and Society of Breast Imaging Statement On Radiation Received To The Thyroid From Mammography. April 4, 2011
Sechopolous I, Suryanarayanan S, Vedantham et. al. Radiation dose to organs and tissue from mammography: Monte Carlo and phantom study. Radiology 2008; 246: 434-443.
Hendrick RE, Pisano ED, Averbukh A, et. al. Comparison of acquisition parameters and breast dose in digital mammography and screen- film mammography in the American College of Radiology Imaging Network Digital Mammographic Screening Trial. Am. J Roentgenology 2010; 194:362-369
Hendrick RE. Radiation Doses and Cancer Risks From Breast Imaging Studies. Radiology 2010; 257:246-253