Empty Nest - July 2023

Flying free of skin cancer – Part 2

Brought to You by - Brent Taylor, MD, Premiere Dermatology and Mohs Surgery of Atlanta

In last month’s article about aviation and skin cancer, we looked at FAA regulations relating to pilots, melanomas, and the importance of early detection. This month, we’ll look at the question of whether flying in general causes skin cancer. Are you assuming much risk of cancer by flying at 35,000 feet? What if you’re a frequent flier?

We know that pilots develop skin cancer at a higher rate than the general population. A large Nordic study of male pilots found that they developed 130% more melanomas than expected, 110% more squamous cell skin cancers than expected and 150% more basal cell skin cancers than expected. The risk of skin cancer increased with the time since first employment, the number of flight hours, and the estimated radiation dose from being at altitude.

What is not known is whether radiation received during flight is to blame for these skin cancers. Correlation does not always mean causation, and just because pilots had higher rates of skin cancer doesn’t mean that cosmic radiation solely is to blame. The “flight environment” includes a combination of exposures including ultraviolet light, decreased oxygen levels, ozone, disinfectants and other hazards and stressors that are uniquely combined in aviation. These confounding variables make confident blame of any one hazard difficult to prove. Still, cosmic radiation is known to cause DNA damage and is worth examining, especially given how much flying is being done by flight crew and passengers alike.

Both the atmosphere and earth’s magnetic fields provide protection against cosmic radiation. Radiation levels approximately double for every 4500 feet of increased elevation due to thinner atmosphere. Due to magnetic fields shielding less at earth’s magnetic poles, radiation levels are approximately double at the poles compared with the equator. The most radiation occurs during a flight at high altitude over one of the earth’s poles. In the European Union, airlines attempt to keep radiation levels below 6mSv per year. How much is a mSv?

We all receive about 1 mSv just from living at sea level in a year. We average an additional 1 to 2mSv from other sources such as flying, medical and dental x-rays, etc.

The International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) recommends no more than 20mSv per year for people working in occupations such as nuclear power or radiology that in -

volve radiation exposure. How did they come up with 20mSv?

A generally accepted figure is that every 1000mSv of excess radiation increases one’s risk of dying from cancer by 5%. The ICRP assumed that 5% excess risk of dying from cancer is a reasonable cutoff and that few people will spend more than 50 years in any given career. 1000mSv divided by 50 years is 20mSv per year.

A pilot flying at 35,000 feet for 1000 hours each year can expect between 3 and 5mSv of excess cosmic radiation per year. This means that a pilot who works 40 years can expect 120 to 200mSv of excess radiation on average which means that a pilot’s chance of dying from cancer might be increased by about 0.6% to 1% on average. Of course, the chance of developing cancer but not dying from it is higher.

Is this risk acceptable?

My assumption is that everyone in the United States drives, and we are all willing (reluctantly) to assume the risk of death that comes from driving. Driving risk is a useful benchmark when contemplating other types of risk. Let’s assume you wouldn’t want to raise your risk of dying from cancer any more than your current risk of an automobile death, which is a lifetime risk of 1% in the United States. Well, about 200mSv of radiation exposure is expected to result in that increase. Assuming 0.004mSv per hour of commercial air travel, you would have to fly 50,000 hours in your lifetime to increase your risk of cancer death from high altitude radiation enough to equal your risk of dying in an automobile accident. Almost no pilot will reach that number, and certainly few if any passengers approach that number.

A more significant risk is probably unnecessary medical radiation. See https://www.health.harvard.edu/cancer/radiation-risk-from-medical-imaging for a complete breakdown of radiation from common medical tests. Food for thought is that each CT scan of the chest averages 7mSv. A whole-body CT scan averages 20mSV or more, and a PET/CT scan averages about 25mSv. If a patient needs the scan, then the patient needs the scan. But unnecessary scans involving radiation are to be avoided. 25mSv is more than the annual radiation limit of 20mSv recommended by the ICRP, and someone receiving a PET-CT scan receives that radiation all in a single day.

When compared with the risks of driving a car or the risk of radiation from medical imaging, the risks of cosmic radiation while flying appear acceptable. Sit back and enjoy your flight.

Dental coverage in Medicare Advantage getting stronger!

Brought to you by – Jay Looft, Senior Source Medicare

If it’s been a while since you’ve looked at the dental coverage inside a Medicare Advantage plan, it’s time to look again! Many of the Medicare Advantage insurance companies have made massive improvements to their dental coverage. They’ve listened to what people want!

The better Medicare Advantage dental coverages have turned to Allowances, meaning they will give you a “bucket of money” to use for the calendar year. Here’s a few great points about the Medicare Advantage Dental Allowances:

Flexible dentist choice

Use a dentist in OR out of their network. If you’ve had the same dentist for 20 years, and want to stay with them, in most cases you will not have to change dentists with a Dental Allowance structure. If the dentist does not provide the courtesy of “filing” for you, then you will need to pay for the dental services upfront and file for reimbursement. A typical turnaround time for reimbursement is 3-4 weeks from the time you submit for reimbursement.

IN OUR empty Nest

Can be used for most dental services:

Traditional Dental Insurance will many times limit, or even restrict, costly dental services like root canals, crowns, bridges, and dentures. Allowances, on the other hand, can usually be used on these services. Allowances do have a few restrictions, including cosmetic dentistry and teeth whitening, on most plans.

The Dental Benefit is just one of many benefits you want to look at when selecting the right Medicare Advantage plan for you; but if you choose one that offers a Dental Allowance, you are on your way to having a more pleasant experience.

We are approaching the Medicare Annual Enrollment Period, when you can make new choices with your Medicare insurance options. This period will be from October 15th, 2023 - December 7th, 2023 for January 1st, 2024 effective dates. If you would like help analyzing your plan options this fall, it is not too early to set up an appointment with us. Call us today to schedule your Fall AEP Appointment. We can be reached by calling (770) 315-8145 or by messaging us on our website at www.SeniorSourceMedicare.com/contact-seniorsource

Paige Gorman Agent

Connection Café: What’s that?

Brought to you by – Connection Café at the Roswell Senior Center

Caring for a loved one with dementia can trigger significant relationship changes. The new caregiver morphs from a loving family member into a role that is task and service oriented. It’s easy for a caregiver to become burned out, leaving little energy to engage in fun and meaningful time together. This is where Connection Café comes in!

Connection Café is a no-cost social gathering which allows people experiencing memory loss and their loved one to connect with each other through activities and build a new support network. Care partners can witness trained staff and volunteers model effective ways to communicate and interact with their family members, and they learn new activities and techniques that can be used at home. The group meets twice a month at the Roswell Senior Center and provides a break in the day-to-day and an opportunity to meet other families who are walking the same path.

If you are caring for a loved

one with dementia and would like more information on attending an upcoming Connection Café, contact Alyss Amster at 678-332-1711 or alyss@dementiaspotlightfoundation. org

Connection Café at the Roswell Senior Center

1250 Warsaw Road – Roswell, GA 1st and 3rd Friday of the month 1:30PM – 3:30PM RSVP is required to attend.

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PEXELS

Pain Relieving Laser Therapy

Brought to you by - Johns Creek Physical Therapy

Having treated hundreds of patients over the past 6 years with Pain Relieving Laser Therapy, it’s not hard for me to appreciate how well it works. But if you’ve never tried it, trust me when I tell you…. you’re missing out!

Several years ago, John Deere ran a promotion on their zero turn lawn mowers. They used a fun tag line, “It’s not how fast you mow, it’s how well you mow FAST!” I wish I could come up with a similar tag line for Pain Relieving Laser Therapy because it can deliver pain relief in just a few minutes. It’s not uncommon for patients to have their pain be reduced by 50% on the first treatment.

How does it work? Pain Relieving Laser Therapy uses light energy to promote healing and reduce pain. Laser Therapy is FDA cleared to treat pain, inflammation, arthritis, and muscle spasms and is a great alternative to medications and injections.

The most common thing we hear after someone tries it for the first

time is “WOW!” I’m sure if you are just reading this article, you are probably thinking, “yeah, RIGHT??!! Nothing works that fast!” But don’t

take my word for it, call our office today and schedule your FREE TRIAL. The only thing you have to lose is your pain!

Johns Creek Physical Therapy 4060 Johns Creek Parkway, Suite H Suwanee, GA 30024 770-622-5344

Dental coverage in Medicare Advantage getting stronger!

Can be used for most dental services:

If it’s been a while since you’ve looked at the dental coverage inside a Medicare Advantage plan, it’s time to look again! Many of the Medicare Advantage insurance companies have made massive improvements to their dental coverage. They’ve listened to what people want!

The better Medicare Advantage dental coverages have turned to Allowances, meaning they will give you a “bucket of money” to use for the calendar year. Here’s a few great points about the Medicare Advantage Dental Allowances:

Flexible dentist choice

Use a dentist in OR out of their network. If you’ve had the same dentist for 20 years, and want to stay with them, in most cases you will not have to change dentists with a Dental Allowance structure. If the dentist does not provide the courtesy of “filing” for you, then you will need to pay for the dental services upfront and file for reimbursement. A typical turnaround time for reimbursement is 3-4 weeks from the time you submit for reimbursement.

Traditional Dental Insurance will many times limit, or even restrict, costly dental services like root canals, crowns, bridges, and dentures. Allowances, on the other hand, can usually be used on these services. Allowances do have a few restrictions, including cosmetic dentistry and teeth whitening, on most plans.

The Dental Benefit is just one of many benefits you want to look at when selecting the right Medicare Advantage plan for you; but if you choose one that offers a Dental Allowance, you are on your way to having a more pleasant experience.

We are approaching the Medicare Annual Enrollment Period, when you can make new choices with your Medicare insurance options. This period will be from October 15th, 2023 - December 7th, 2023 for January 1st, 2024 effective dates. If you would like help analyzing your plan options this fall, it is not too early to set up an appointment with us. Call us today to schedule your Fall AEP Appointment. We can be reached by calling (770) 913-6464 or by messaging us on our website at www.SeniorSourceMedicare.com/contact-seniorsource