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Overexposed: Imaging tests boost U.S. radiation dose

Overexposed: Imaging tests boost U.S. radiation dose

By Julie Steenhuysen

CHICAGO (Reuters) Mar 4, 2009 – Americans are exposed to seven times more radiation from diagnostic scans than in 1980, a report found on Tuesday as experts said doctors are overusing the tests for profit and raising health risks for patients.

The findings, issued by National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurement, add to already mounting evidence that doctors are ordering too many diagnostic tests, driving up the cost of healthcare in the United States and potentially harming patients.

While diagnostic scans give doctors valuable information and many times are necessary, doctors fear too much radiation exposure can cause cancer, especially in younger people………………………”Unfortunately, one of the things we have seen in the imaging world is that many physicians look at imaging as the solution to their financial problems,” Thrall, head of radiology at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, said in a telephone interview.

Overexposed: Imaging tests boost U.S. radiation dose | Reuters

March 4, 2009 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | environment, USA