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Radiation protection associated with well women breast cancer screening

Integrated Radiological Services Ltd, Unit 188, Century Building, 102 Tower Street, Brunswick Business Park, Liverpool L3 4BJ

This excerpt was created in the absence of an abstract.

We would like to thank all those who responded to our letter (Moores & Henshaw, 1992). We are fully conversant with the views expressed in all of the replies but unfortunately we feel that none address the fundamental operational radiation protection issues raised in our letter. Therefore, we would like to make the following comments to these replies.

1. Law et al quite rightly point out that: "Screening programmes... should be undertaken only if the expected medical benefits to the individuals examined and to the population as a whole exceed the economic and social costs, including the risks associated with the radiation involved. Since benefits are not always the same for all members of the population screening should be limited normally to particular groups". The main elements of this statement are:

(a) A screening programme has responsibilities to the individual as well as to the population.

(b) Since well women participating in a breast screening programme are volunteers all those participating should be provided with information appropriate to their own circumstances if they are expected to give informed consent.

(c) Particular groups may need to be considered separately, particularly if items (a) and (b) are to be effectively implemented.

Received for publication August 26, 1992. Accepted for publication September 1, 1992.