[ RadSafe ] New average annual medical dose

Wed Aug 15 13:20:25 CDT 2007

As my statistics Prof in grad school said, "The Average American has a
single functional testicle and a single functional ovary."

________________________________

From: howard long [mailto:hflong at pacbell.net] 
Sent: Wednesday, August 15, 2007 9:16 AM
To: Dan W McCarn; Brennan, Mike (DOH); 'radsafe'
Subject: RE: [ RadSafe ] New average annual medical dose

"Averaging" a medical dose is humorous.
Did you hear the story about the statistician who drowned, wading across
a creek that averaged one foot deep?

>From 4,000+ cSv (rem) in radiation oncology locally to 0 (with only
benefit having been shown up to 10 cSv rem) makes averaging medical dose
just an exercise for idle bureaucrats.

Howard Long

Dan W McCarn <hotgreenchile at gmail.com> wrote:

	Hello Mike & Jim:

	Is there a reference for this paper? Is there a website
containing the
	statistical data for this new "average"? I can't help but think
that the
	new "average" is strongly biased by a very high end, but
relatively small
	"tail" on the distribution. Are there published numbers for
other
	descriptors of central tendency such as median, or a Tukey
Trimean? How do
	these estimators compare with the older distribution on which
the older dose
	estimate is based? Has the median dose changed that much?

	Dan ii

	Dan W McCarn, Geologist
	Albuquerque & Houston

	-----Original Message-----
	From: radsafe-bounces at radlab.nl
[mailto:radsafe-bounces at radlab.nl] On Behalf
	Of Brennan, Mike (DOH)
	Sent: Tuesday, August 14, 2007 11:35 AM
	To: radsafe
	Subject: RE: [ RadSafe ] New average annual medical dose

	It was also presented by the EPA (I don't recall the individual)
at the
	CRCPC meeting in May. The factor driving this increase in the
"average" is
	the large number of procedures such as CAT scans, where the high
resolution
	and large information content comes at the cost of higher dose,
and the
	increase of radiation based options replacing conventional
surgery.

	While I have no problem at all with updating the pie chart, I do
take issue
	with including "average" medical dose in the same display as
other,
	presumably non-healthy, dose. I believe it sends the wrong
message to the
	public.

	As an example, the average dose in my family has gone up very
dramatically
	in the last six months. My mother has been diagnosed with a
brain tumor.
	She has had a number of CAT scans of her head, radiation
treatment of the
	tumor, and undoubtedly several other exposures that I don't
remember at the
	moment. I don't know what her total dose is, and frankly, I
don't really
	care; I don't think that viewing this dose to her in the
standard ways we
	view dose is productive.

	While her no-doubt large dose increased the average dose of any
demographic
	she is included in, it does not increase the risk from radiation
to anyone
	but her. And for her, the dose resulted in an overall reduction
in risk.
	Both those points will be lost in a dose pie chart.

	When the media sees the new pie chart I can see the lead stories
about the
	HUGE increase (unless, of course, Paris Hilton does something
more
	interesting that day). I can almost hear news anchors and
special reporters
	speaking in concerned tones about this development, and asking
why somebody
	doesn't do something. I wouldn't be surprised if some
Congressional
	committee looks into it to see if there aren't some good sound
bites
	available. It will all come to a bad end.

	But we will always have Paris. 

	-----Original Message-----
	From: radsafe-bounces at radlab.nl
[mailto:radsafe-bounces at radlab.nl] On Behalf
	Of Muckerheide, Jim (CDA)
	Sent: Tuesday, August 14, 2007 8:20 AM
	To: Wes Van Pelt; radsafe
	Subject: RE: [ RadSafe ] New average annual medical dose

	Hi Wes,

	The new estimate is 320 mrem/yr. This was presented by Fred
Mettler at the
	NCRP April Annual meeting. This will be in an update of the NCRP
93 report
	(1987) in which medical exposure is estimated to be 54 mrem/r.

	I've seen a ref to a later presentation by Dr. Mettler also, but
I forget
	where.

	Regards, Jim 

	>-----Original Message-----
	>From: radsafe-bounces at radlab.nl
	>[mailto:radsafe-bounces at radlab.nl] On Behalf Of Wes Van Pelt
	>Sent: Tuesday, August 14, 2007 10:59 AM
	>To: 'radsafe'
	>Subject: [ RadSafe ] New average annual medical dose
	>
	>A few weeks ago there was some discussion on a new revised
estimate of 
	>annual dose from diagnostic medical procedures (e.g., x-rays,
CT, mamo, 
	>etc.). I recall that the annual average medical dose went from
about 70 
	>to about 250 mrem per year. A BIG increase!
	>
	>I cannot find the reference(s) to this new estimate. Can anyone
help?
	>
	>Best regards,
	>Wes
	>Wesley R. Van Pelt, PhD, CIH, CHP
	>Wesley R. Van Pelt Associates, Inc. 
	> 
	>
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