nuclear-news

Risk of cancer – delayed, but real, in medical radiation

Medical imaging with radiation and cancer: the risk  Indy Star.com 3 Oct 11 Ionizing radiation used in medical imaging, such as CT scans and diagnostic X-rays, is high-frequency radiation that has enough energy to remove an electron from an atom or molecule. This is called ionization. Ionized molecules are unstable and quickly undergo chemical changes. Ionizing radiation has enough energy to damage the DNA in cells, which in turn may lead to cancer, says the American Cancer Society.

» The damage takes place in a fraction of a second, but other changes, such as the beginning of cancer, may take years to develop. Radiation studies have shown it takes five to 10 years for blood cancers to develop and 15 to 30 years for solid tumors to develop.

Most studies on radiation and cancer risk have looked at people exposed to very high does of radiation, such as during the Chernobyl nuclear accident….  http://www.indystar.com/article/20111002/LIVING01/110020319/Medical-imaging-radiation-cancer-risk

October 3, 2011 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | 2 WORLD, health