Re: Mammography Doses

[Keith <WELCH@CEBAF.GOV>]

Sue, 
I don't know anything about the dose, but on the issue of informing the patient
I have had the same experience as you.  I don't think it's a male/female thing.
I had an experience with my daughter and an upper GI flouro in which the staff
became very irritated by my requests for the dose information.  They had an
attitude like "if you don't trust us, just take your daughter home and we won't
bless you with the benefit of this procedure".  It is a risk/benefit thing of
course, and they are in such a hurry they don't want to be bothered with the
details.  They see it as their decision as the caregiver, and once the decision
is made, it's like questioning the physicians judgement.  In this case the
radiologist did finally go and look up the average range of doses for the
procedure.  Pointing to it, he said "see, it's only .6 rad"

Keith Welch