Follow-up calls

are made by a board certified physician to ensure that the individual

did meet with his or her personal doctor and to confirm the radiologist's

findings. According to patient records through November of 2002, severe

abnormal findings in the CT abdomen scans were confirmed 95 percent of

the time. Severe findings in the lung were confirmed in 94 percent of

cases, and a severe heart scan report identified significant coronary

artery disease requiring angioplasty, bypass surgery or other treatment

in three out of four people.

Whether there

is risk from radiation with screening CT, in the opinion of Dr. William

Maxfield, radiation oncologist and chief of radiology of CATscan 2000,

"has been significantly clarified in the Nov. 2000 issue of the American

Journal of Roentgenology. Dr. Bernard Cohen published data to suggest

that the current method of estimating low-level radiation effect grossly

overestimates the risk of future cancer. In my opinion and the opinion

of Dr. Cohen, the risk of cancer from diagnostic radiography may well

be zero."

The potential

of CT scans as a powerful weapon against heart disease and cancer is vigorously

debated around the nation. Some institutions will not endorse the use

of a preventive CT scan until it is proven that finding early disease

is both cost-effective and results in a longer life for the patient.

"My experience

in cancer management and preventive medicine is that early diagnosis is

very cost-effective," said Dr. Maxfield. "Treatment of an early

cancer costs four to ten minutes less than treatment of advanced cancer.

Long-term survival and quality of life are much better when the intent

of treatment is for the cure of an early stage cancer."

The importance

of early detection in cancer treatment was emphasized as far back as 1981

in an article entitled "If You Look For Early Cancer, You Will Find

It," written by Daniel G. Miller, M.D. Dr. Miller published data

showing that for the 12 most common types of cancer detection at an early

stage, before the onset of symptoms, gave a significant improvement in

20-year survival rates.

"In my

opinion," Dr. Maxfield said, "data from CT screening will reconfirm

the findings of Dr. Miller. Our mobile service has detected a large number

of kidney cancers, early lung cancers, early esophageal, breast, prostate

and ovarian cancers. My 30-plus years of practice as a radiation oncologist

tell me that we have converted these patients from future cancer victims

to cancer victors through early diagnosis and appropriate treatment."

The CATscan

2000 mobile CT scanner will be at Line Creek Baptist Church, 2711 Ga.

Highway 54 in Peachtree City, this Friday. The fee is $199 for a heart

scan, $209 for a chest scan and $209 for an abdomen/pelvis scan. If all

three CT scans are taken together, there is a $30 discount applied for

a total fee of $587. A comparable CT diagnostic study, if performed in

a hospital setting, would cost between $900 and $1,500. Call 1-877-828-7475

to schedule an appointment or receive further information.

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