Airport Scanner Danger

One way to avoid health problems is to stay away from unhealthy environments. Now we can add staying away from airports to the list with their new full-body scanners. In case you think I'm over reacting to the new scanners there is a growing list of scientists speaking up on the issue. Last spring several scientists at the University of California at San Francisco were so worried they sent a letter to the White House Office of Science and Technology. A European press story recently quoted Dr. Michael Love at the department of biophysics and biophysical chemistry at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine saying "They say the risk is minimal, but statistically someone is going to get skin cancer from these X-rays."

It reminds me of all the women who were treated for breast cancer decades ago with high doses of radiation which was thought to be safe at the time. They later developed other types of cancer including bone cancer. I know this because I had a sister-in-law later die from her treatment.

While I'm the first one to want safety in our planes this is not the way to do it. The price for being politically correct and scanning everyone is going to be too high down the road.

Radiation Danger

Next time you check into a hotel, or sit next to someone on a bus or plane, you may need to ask yourself if it's safe. Folks being treated for cancer with radioactive iodine or iodine-131 are sometimes kept in the hospital for a few days for safety but many are simply sent home right away. There are reports of hotel room contamination and radioactivity alarms being set off on public transportation according to a congressional investigation.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is considering adopting new rules to protect the public. Their main concern is exposure to children and pregnant women who are most susceptible to radiation.

The treatment is usually used to treat thyroid cancer. In the U.S. about 40,000 people each year develop the disease.

Growing Radiation Risk

The growth in diagnostic imaging tests in America has exploded in recent years. It's estimated that our radiation exposure has increased more than 600% since 1980. According to the National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements increased exposure leads to increased cancer risk. Since many imaging centers are owned by doctors it's become a lucrative opportunity resulting in a wild west environment, a dangerous place for patients.

Isn't it amazing that occupational radiation exposure is regulated by the federal government but there is no federal oversight when radiation is used for medical purposes? Doesn't this seem like upside-down priorities considering the number of people at risk?

Today even some doctors are beginning to suggest that tracking a patient's cumulative radiation dose in their medical record is necessary. Such a record could help prevent unnecessary radiation exposure.

Medical Hindsight

Isn't it amazing how the folks who don't want you to have access to complementary and alternative medicine are the same ones making mistakes that kill people? Today's example is from the wonderful world of medical hindsight, which is always 20-20.

A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine predicts that in a few decades up to 2% of all cancers in the U.S. may be caused by radiation from CT scans given today. That's because millions of Americans are needlessly getting dangerous radiation that raises the risk of cancer. Children, the study warns, are especially at risk.

The problem is the increasing popularity of CT scans. There were 62 million scans done last year compared with 3 million in 1980. Since previous studies suggest that 1/3 of all diagnostic tests are unnecessary there are millions of people being put at risk.

Only 1/3 of the facilities doing CT scans are accredited by the College of Radiology and even those that are checked frequently neglect to reset equipment from adult to child to minimize exposure and risk.