3 ms·

Does anyone know if TSA gate agents can see tumors, and if they've ever told anyone? Like, say, a golf-ball sized tumor in the neck? Would they have to be medic

• semi-extrinsic 8y ago
  Nope, millimeter wave scanners barely penetrate the upper skin layers, and I don't think they have the contrast required to differentiate even a skin tumor from normal skin.
• tjohns 8y ago
  There's no human operators for the body scanners anymore, due to privacy concerns. The images are analyzed by computer, and any anomalies are highlighted on a cartoon diagram for extra attention during the pat down. Also, if someone had a golf-ball sized growth on the outside of their body, I'm sure the person is already aware of it. (The body scanners can't see inside the body.)
• paranoidrobot 8y ago
  > There was an interesting story of a doctor who noticed cancer while watching TV and passed the word on. It's not hugely frequent, I don't think, but it's not unheard of for this kind of thing to happen. Most of the family are in the industry, and just watching TV or whatever you'll occasionally hear a comment about noticing a tremor or slight droop in someone's face that could be indicative of whatever.