CHEST Guidelines-Rebuttal From Dr. Doss

Rebuttal From Dr. Doss

Pdf Summary

The document presents a scientific debate on the implications of low-dose radiation (LDR) from CT scans on cancer risks, particularly in lung cancer screening. Dr. Mohan Doss argues against Dr. McCunney's point that radiation doses from CT scans should factor into patient care. Doss suggests that ionizing radiation's adverse health effects are not cumulative, as McCunney asserts, but rather that low-dose radiation could trigger a beneficial defensive response called "adaptive protection." Doss presents evidence from a study on childhood cancer survivors indicating fewer second cancers in irradiated regions compared to non-irradiated regions, suggesting that LDR could actually reduce overall cancer risk by decreasing DNA damage.<br /><br />Doss criticizes the reliance on the linear no-threshold hypothesis (LNT), which posits that cancer risk is linearly proportional to radiation dose without any safe threshold. He points out that data from atomic bomb survivors don't support this hypothesis, instead aligning more with a radiation hormesis model, which suggests that low-dose radiation might even lower cancer risks.<br /><br />Furthermore, Doss challenges the synergy between cigarette smoking and radiation exposure posited by McCunney as being applicable primarily to high radiation doses, not LDR. He concludes that there is no substantial evidence indicating increased cancer risk from the radiation doses from CT scans over time. On the contrary, he argues that LDR appears to boost the body's natural protective mechanisms, reducing cancer, and hence, radiation dose should not be a concern in patient care strategies. Throughout, Doss underscores the lack of conflict of interest in his findings and emphasizes the importance of basing patient care decisions on updated, evidence-based assessments of LDR's impact.

Keywords

low-dose radiation

CT scans

cancer risks

lung cancer screening

adaptive protection

linear no-threshold hypothesis

radiation hormesis

DNA damage

patient care

evidence-based assessments