There are a couple of ethical issues regarding the use of PET scans. Firstly, PET scans are occasionally inaccurate and as a result may give false images of the body. One ethical issue that comes up because of this is that people wonder if it is right to use this technology when it could possibly give misconceptions and can have a great impact on the patient. This scanning system can misdiagnose a person which would not only cost the doctors who are treating the “sick” patient but the patient themselves. It would waste time and effort and can be avoided by not using the scanning system for mild issues. For example, if a woman got a PET scan done and it showed that she “had” cancer when she really didn’t she would have to go through days of treatment. This would not only affect the person physically but also mentally. The family and loved ones of that person will also be part of this issue because cancer is a very sensitive topic. Also, patients that actually have a disease may not get the needed scans and treatment done due to the fact that the doctors are busy treating patients that have been misdiagnosed. Clearly, the fact that PET scans can be inaccurate may cause many problems.
Secondly, to get a PET scan done, you must be injected by radioisotopes. This is a radioactive material that contains radiation. As known by many, radiation is one of the many causes of cancer. Ironically, PET scans can possibly cause cancer (not proven as of yet) and can diagnose cancer. There is an ethical problem because it is not known if it is right to be using these types of materials which have the ability to damage the health of our bodies. Some argue that the radiation is in small amounts and it does not stay in the body for long. However, these types of medical facts can be proven wrong and therefore we can never be sure about the impacts of this scan. Also, everybody is different, so some bodies may hold the radioisotopes in the body longer and others may not. This can clearly affect the body negatively since the chemical was not meant to stay in the body for a long time. Another problem is that weaker bodies may not be able to handle the radiation as much as stronger bodies. This can also affect how the body reacts to the radioisotopes and may cause problems within the body of the patient. Obviously, the radioisotopes bring up many ethical questions about the safety of the use of PET scans.
In conclusion, although there are several ethical issues, PET scans can also allow doctors to observe detailed views of the body.
(BY: Chinthuri Selvarajah)
PET scans 