Advances in radiation therapy have dramatically improved medical practice today. CT scans and nuclear medical exams allow physicians the capacity to pinpoint and diagnose a number of health problems. But radiation in these machines can be a risk to patients. Americans are being exposed to more amounts of radiation than ever before.
A new study on radiation in medicine has found that the dose of radiation in clinical imaging exams has increased more than 600% since 1980. Exposure to radiation in the medical field is now greater than in all other sources.
CT scans only make up 12% of the radiation procedures, but they account for almost half of radiation exposure. These scanners expose patients to much more radiation than the X-ray, which has been classified as a carcinogen because it is known to cause leukemia and other types of cancer.
A problem with these scans is that they remain largely unregulated (except for mammography). Doses for the same procedure can be very different depending on the physician, the technician, and the machine. Radiologists don’t want to scare patients away from necessary procedures, but they do want each patient to weigh the risks and benefits of having a CT scan, and be willing to ask the physician crucial questions about the procedure and the machine.
Studies of atomic bomb survivors in Japan found a statistically significant increase in cancer at high levels of exposure - 50 millisieverts (mSv), about 16 times the current annual average for Americans from medical exams. Experts do not know if lower levels of radiation are considered safe. The study also suggests that it is not unusual for a patient to exceed 50 mSv because some people may have multiple exams and scans done. It is necessary that patients only have these scans done when they are necessary and are aware of the amount of radiation they are receiving.