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Medical radiation – useful, but also dangerous

The effects of ionizing radiation are cumulative, so all of those dental x-rays, chest x-rays, and CT scans add up

Radiation’s Double-Edged Sword ,Kerri Wachter, 1 March 2010, Ionizing radiation—useful for imaging and therapy—has undoubtedly been a boon to medicine. The ability to quickly and noninvasively peek inside the body has not only led to faster diagnoses, but more accurate ones. The ability to target cancerous tissue with a beam of radiation has improved therapeutic options for many cancer patients. However, it comes with a cost.

In the past few months, newspaper headlines have detailed cases of accidental exposure of patients to dangerously high doses of ionizing radiation for both imaging and radiotherapy. The cases were alarming enough that members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Health called radiology organizations, manufacturers, and experts to testify on ways to improve the safety of medical technology involving ionizing radiation to prevent accidents like those in the headlines.
As that hearing occurred in Washington, data presented at the ISC was a stark reminder that even if  procedures using ionizing radiation meet safety requirements, patients could be exposed to concerning levels of ionizing radiation over the course of diagnosis and treatment of just one condition. ….
The effects of ionizing radiation are cumulative, so all of those dental x-rays, chest x-rays, and CT scans add up.  Right now, no one is tasked with keeping track, though that may change.

Radiation’s Double-Edged Sword « EGMN: Notes from the Road

March 2, 2010 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | 2 WORLD, health | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, radiation, radioactive