The debate over the health effects of radiation continues to grab headlines in radiology. This week in our X-Ray Digital Community we’re reporting on a U.S. initiative to evaluate the addition of x-rays to the list of known human carcinogens.
The government has asked the National Toxicology Program to decide if x-rays should be added to the "11th Report on Carcinogens" scheduled for publication next year. A decision will probably be made some time this summer, when a blue-ribbon panel will convene to vote on the matter, according to the story by our contributing writer Kate Madden Yee.
At first blush, it seems the government is simply arriving late to the party -- no one disputes that, at high doses, radiation can cause cancer. But the fallout from classifying x-rays as a carcinogen could be significant. For example, the public’s growing appetite for whole-body CT screening could certainly be curbed if x-rays end up on the list.
More important, some imaging advocates warn that the public could be scared away from medically necessary imaging tests like mammography should fears of radiation become overblown. Adding x-rays to the list of carcinogens could create enormous public concern without shedding any light on the relationship between low levels of radiation and cancer. You’ll find the whole story at
x-ray.auntminnie.com.
Another article in the X-Ray Digital Community is part of our ongoing series on x-ray patient positioning by Dr. Naveed Ahmad. This week, Dr. Ahmad tackles positioning for radiography of the humerus, clavicle, and acromioclavicular joint.
