Patients are frequently inquiring about radiation exposure concerns from their frequent imaging as they diagnose and follow their cancer. I typically respond that the benefit likely outweighs the risk: many scans are necessary to make decisions on treatment issues. However, there are ways to mitigate the risk from radiation exposure. I go into more detail in this blog on the topic (Antioxidants for Radiation Protection – coachitforwardchuck.com) , but your instincts are probably correct. Namely, these issues are more a concern in younger, still developing patients, with a high probability of cure. The opposite is also true, in older patients with less curable cancers, the exposure has less long-term concerns. Independent of the long- term issues, many still report a few days of fatigue and reduced immune function as the sensitive white blood cells are stressed from the radiation. The blog has a complete table for estimated exposure rates per procedure and this is protocol dependent, but the major ones are PET scans which deliver approximately 25mSv from the radioactive glucose tracer and subsequent body CT scan. Next in line would be CT scans of the chest, abdomen and pelvis, bone scans and some cardiac nuclear medicine exams (18-15 mSv). Fortunately, MRI and Ultrasound technology don’t deliver any ionizing radiation, and many times these are equal options for proper imaging.

The lowest safe dose is not known and data from atomic bomb exposures suggest that approximately every 100mSv exposure increases one’s lifetime risk of cancer 5 % above the lifetime natural rate of cancer development. This rate may feel minor for most but many cancer patients may get an initial set of CT scans and maybe PET scan at diagnosis, possible treatment exposures from radiation machine internal scatter and therapeutic isotope therapy, then quarterly follow up scans for years. One only needs to review someone’s diagnostic EMR file to see the high number of scans and how sum doses of 300- 500mSv are breached and risk increases 15-25% by estimate. I always wondered why they don’t have a running column of total mSv exposure to steer decisions in these electronic files, but that would be too sensible and may deter more scans. Scan Shield is designed to make mitigation of this potential injury easy for patients. For the big scans, these 5 supplements have been shown to reduce measures of radiation injury in the most sensitive tissues. Taking the 3 dose packs the day before, day of and day after the scan will not impact the validity of the test. The 5 supplements were chosen based on the work of the radiation protection committee and study of the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster workers measuring a decline in the circulating free DNA from strand breaks, a biomarker for cancer and lower cancer risk score ( see blog for more details).

 We need you to order early to lower shipping cost and your ultimate cost. Try to order a minimum of 7 days early and we will get the script out immediately. We suggest staying out in front and order 2 sets (18 pouches or 18: 5-supplement labeled packets) for your convenient use on the next 2 sets of scans.

We offer several different packages for scan shield:

• MMC Price 1 Scan Shield-Dose Program -$60
• MMC Price 2 Scan Shield-Dose Programs- $105
• MMC Price 4 Scan Shield-Dose Programs-$200

Directions will be on the packets. We suggest increased hydration anytime you get a scan to flush dyes and byproducts.

Stay Strong,

MMC team

If you are interested but not sure, set up a call with one of our team by emailing Support@MeakinMetabolicCare.com.