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Radioactive cancer treatments can endanger community

people, especially kids and those who are pregnant, at risk.  It’s also been found that garbage from the patients have set off radiation detectors at landfills.

Thyroid Cancer Patients Emitting Radiations Unknowingly All About Top News, by: Tyson Gautreaux  20 October 2010.There’s a possibility that cancer patients are unknowingly exposing the public to radiation as reports have swirled that patients who have been treated with radioactive iodine have activated alarms on public vehicles and even affected rooms in hotels. This is according to an investigation done by the congress on the subject.

This development puts people, especially kids and those who are pregnant, at risk.  It’s also been found that garbage from the patients have set off radiation detectors at landfills.

“There is a strong likelihood that members of the public have been unwittingly exposed to radiation from patients.  This has occurred because of weak NRC regulations, ineffective oversight of those who administer these medical treatments, and the absence of clear guidance to patients and to physicians,” Representative Edward Markey of Massachusetts said.

This was not the case before as patients were required to stay in the hospital for around a week after the treatment.  But the Nuclear Regulatory Commission decided to be lenient about this especially for those who were given low doses.  They’re sent home after a few days.

The fact that treatments are now being done at outpatient facilities contributed to this according to the report unlike before when they were done in hospitals.  Patients are sent home with instructions to avoid contact with children and to sleep alone.

Markey, with the help of his subcommittee, is in the process of communicating with different states regarding this.  He’s also in the process of conducting an online survey with a thousand thyroid cancer patients….

Thyroid Cancer Patients Emitting Radiations Unknowingly | All About Top News

October 21, 2010 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | health, USA | antinuclear, cancer, nuclear, radiation, radioactive