Biomaterial Database

Radiology and risk: an economist's perspective. 1981

G H Mooney

This paper, which is an amended version of a talk given to The British Institute of Radiology at a meeting on "Dosimetry and Risks to Patients in Radiopharmaceutical Investigations", picks up the ICRP's concept of detriment and places it firmly in the framework whence it came, viz. cost-benefit analysis. It explains cost-benefit analysis (distinguishing it from cost-effectiveness analysis) and suggests various ways of trying to place a value on human life in order to use cost-benefit analysis as a practical tool of decision-making in policy areas where at least part of the benefit is to be measured in terms of lives saved. The paper suggests that it is important to decide not only who is to value life but also whose perception of risk of death are to be deemed relevant. A practical example in the use of life values is presented for the case of mammography in breast cancer screening.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008327	Mammography	Radiographic examination of the breast.	3D-Mammography,Digital Breast Tomosynthesis,Digital Mammography,X-ray Breast Tomosynthesis,3D Mammography,3D-Mammographies,Breast Tomosyntheses, Digital,Breast Tomosyntheses, X-ray,Breast Tomosynthesis, Digital,Breast Tomosynthesis, X-ray,Digital Breast Tomosyntheses,Digital Mammographies,Mammographies,Mammographies, Digital,Mammography, Digital,X ray Breast Tomosynthesis,X-ray Breast Tomosyntheses
D008403	Mass Screening	Organized periodic procedures performed on large groups of people for the purpose of detecting disease.	Screening,Mass Screenings,Screening, Mass,Screenings,Screenings, Mass
D008875	Middle Aged	An adult aged 45 - 64 years.	Middle Age
D011871	Radiology	A specialty concerned with the use of x-ray and other forms of radiant energy in the diagnosis and treatment of disease.
D001943	Breast Neoplasms	Tumors or cancer of the human BREAST.	Breast Cancer,Breast Tumors,Cancer of Breast,Breast Carcinoma,Cancer of the Breast,Human Mammary Carcinoma,Malignant Neoplasm of Breast,Malignant Tumor of Breast,Mammary Cancer,Mammary Carcinoma, Human,Mammary Neoplasm, Human,Mammary Neoplasms, Human,Neoplasms, Breast,Tumors, Breast,Breast Carcinomas,Breast Malignant Neoplasm,Breast Malignant Neoplasms,Breast Malignant Tumor,Breast Malignant Tumors,Breast Neoplasm,Breast Tumor,Cancer, Breast,Cancer, Mammary,Cancers, Mammary,Carcinoma, Breast,Carcinoma, Human Mammary,Carcinomas, Breast,Carcinomas, Human Mammary,Human Mammary Carcinomas,Human Mammary Neoplasm,Human Mammary Neoplasms,Mammary Cancers,Mammary Carcinomas, Human,Neoplasm, Breast,Neoplasm, Human Mammary,Neoplasms, Human Mammary,Tumor, Breast
D003362	Cost-Benefit Analysis	A method of comparing the cost of a program with its expected benefits in dollars (or other currency). The benefit-to-cost ratio is a measure of total return expected per unit of money spent. This analysis generally excludes consideration of factors that are not measured ultimately in economic terms. In contrast a cost effectiveness in general compares cost with qualitative outcomes.	Cost and Benefit,Cost-Benefit Data,Benefits and Costs,Cost Benefit,Cost Benefit Analysis,Cost-Utility Analysis,Costs and Benefits,Economic Evaluation,Marginal Analysis,Analyses, Cost Benefit,Analysis, Cost Benefit,Analysis, Cost-Benefit,Analysis, Cost-Utility,Analysis, Marginal,Benefit and Cost,Cost Benefit Analyses,Cost Benefit Data,Cost Utility Analysis,Cost-Benefit Analyses,Cost-Utility Analyses,Data, Cost-Benefit,Economic Evaluations,Evaluation, Economic,Marginal Analyses
D003657	Decision Making	The process of making a selective intellectual judgment when presented with several complex alternatives consisting of several variables, and usually defining a course of action or an idea.	Credit Assignment,Assignment, Credit,Assignments, Credit,Credit Assignments
D005260	Female		Females
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000328	Adult	A person having attained full growth or maturity. Adults are of 19 through 44 years of age. For a person between 19 and 24 years of age, YOUNG ADULT is available.	Adults