Although the risk from medical radiation is small, we should not become complacent

• Diagnostic x-rays are the largest man-made source of exposure of the general population to radiation. Even if the risk from radiation to an individual is very small, exposure of a large number of people over time could translate into a considerable number of cancer cases.
  
• A recent report in The Lancet attempts to quantify the risk of cancer induction from diagnostic x-ray procedures, averaged over the population.Their analysis suggests that in Australia about 431cancers per year (1.3% of all cancers) could be attributable to diagnostic x-rays
• The total population dose of radiation from medical diagnostic procedures is increasing worldwide, mainly due to the increase in CT scanning.
  
• It is easy to overlook the possible side effects of radiation, particularly if the risk is very low and the effect may not become apparent for years.
  
• Children are also more susceptible to the carcinogenic effects of radiation than adults.
• One area in which risk is considered to outweigh benefit is whole-body CT screening of healthy asymptomatic people.

Links

• Estimated Risks of Radiation-Induced Fatal Cancer from Pediatric CT
• Reducing Radiation Exposure from Survey CT Scans
• CT Dose Reduction in Pediatric Patients
• Low-Dose Chest CT: Optimizing Radiation Protection for Patients
• Computed Tomography and Radiation Risks: What Pediatric Health Care Providers Should Know

• What are the Radiation Risks from CT?
• Physics tutorial Topics in CT
• Dose Performance of a 64-Channel Dual-Source CT Scanner