yes, x-rays do cause cancer
X-rays added to cancer list
Some viruses also among carcinogens on federal registry
Jane Kay, Chronicle Environment Writer
Tuesday, February 1, 2005
The federal government for the first time has placed X-rays and some viruses on its list of cancer-causing agents along with chemicals formed by frying and grilling meat.
Also on the list of 17 new carcinogens, released Monday, were lead and lead compounds, toilet bowl deodorants and substances in textile dyes, paints and inks.
...
X-rays and gamma radiation -- used in medicine, the nuclear power industry and by the military -- were listed because they can cause leukemia and thyroid, breast and lung cancers, federal scientists said. X-rays to women in their reproductive years increase the risk of breast cancer, while childhood exposure is linked to an increased risk for leukemia and thyroid cancer, the report said.
...
The American College of Radiology, which accredits radiologists, took umbrage at the addition of radiation to the list.
James Borgstede, chairman of the board of chancellors, issued a statement saying that X-rays and gamma rays "do not belong on a list of substances that pose a risk to people in the course of their normal, daily lives. This report could lead patients to mistakenly believe that they are being placed at undue risk by undergoing a radiological procedure and cause many who may desperately need care to avoid seeking appropriate medical attention.''
In San Francisco, Dr. Daniel Glaubiger, chairman of the Department of Radiation Oncology at California Pacific, said radiologists follow common guidelines to reduce the potential for harm.
"No one should have unnecessary X-rays, particularly children and certainly women who are pregnant,'' he said. "We know from other data that multiple low-dose X-ray exposures can result in increased incidence of subsequent malignancy.''
People shouldn't refuse necessary X-rays, such as those following a head trauma or to determine the extent of pneumonia, Glaubiger cautioned. "Mammograms remain the best screening procedure for women with breast cancer, '' he said.
On the other hand, he cautioned that "full body scans involve a fairly sizable exposure and haven't proven beneficial.''
About 55 percent of the global radiation exposure comes from medical diagnostic tests, 43 percent from naturally occurring radon and 2 percent from industry, scientific research, military weapons testing, nuclear accidents and nuclear power generation, the report said.
Studies of out-of-date radiation practices have shown an increase in cancer. The ongoing California Teachers Study has shown a higher-than-average risk of breast cancer among women required to have yearly chest X-rays to rule out tuberculosis. Canadian women treated for TB with many fluoroscopies in the 1930s and 1940s have a higher risk of breast cancer than do women who were monitored for scoliosis with X-rays in the 1950s and 1960s.
Dr. Chris Portier, associate director of the National Toxicology Program, which prepared the report, said he hopes the information will help physicians update their points of view and "re-examine what they're doing.''
...
Some viruses also among carcinogens on federal registry
Jane Kay, Chronicle Environment Writer
Tuesday, February 1, 2005
The federal government for the first time has placed X-rays and some viruses on its list of cancer-causing agents along with chemicals formed by frying and grilling meat.
Also on the list of 17 new carcinogens, released Monday, were lead and lead compounds, toilet bowl deodorants and substances in textile dyes, paints and inks.
...
X-rays and gamma radiation -- used in medicine, the nuclear power industry and by the military -- were listed because they can cause leukemia and thyroid, breast and lung cancers, federal scientists said. X-rays to women in their reproductive years increase the risk of breast cancer, while childhood exposure is linked to an increased risk for leukemia and thyroid cancer, the report said.
...
The American College of Radiology, which accredits radiologists, took umbrage at the addition of radiation to the list.
James Borgstede, chairman of the board of chancellors, issued a statement saying that X-rays and gamma rays "do not belong on a list of substances that pose a risk to people in the course of their normal, daily lives. This report could lead patients to mistakenly believe that they are being placed at undue risk by undergoing a radiological procedure and cause many who may desperately need care to avoid seeking appropriate medical attention.''
In San Francisco, Dr. Daniel Glaubiger, chairman of the Department of Radiation Oncology at California Pacific, said radiologists follow common guidelines to reduce the potential for harm.
"No one should have unnecessary X-rays, particularly children and certainly women who are pregnant,'' he said. "We know from other data that multiple low-dose X-ray exposures can result in increased incidence of subsequent malignancy.''
People shouldn't refuse necessary X-rays, such as those following a head trauma or to determine the extent of pneumonia, Glaubiger cautioned. "Mammograms remain the best screening procedure for women with breast cancer, '' he said.
On the other hand, he cautioned that "full body scans involve a fairly sizable exposure and haven't proven beneficial.''
About 55 percent of the global radiation exposure comes from medical diagnostic tests, 43 percent from naturally occurring radon and 2 percent from industry, scientific research, military weapons testing, nuclear accidents and nuclear power generation, the report said.
Studies of out-of-date radiation practices have shown an increase in cancer. The ongoing California Teachers Study has shown a higher-than-average risk of breast cancer among women required to have yearly chest X-rays to rule out tuberculosis. Canadian women treated for TB with many fluoroscopies in the 1930s and 1940s have a higher risk of breast cancer than do women who were monitored for scoliosis with X-rays in the 1950s and 1960s.
Dr. Chris Portier, associate director of the National Toxicology Program, which prepared the report, said he hopes the information will help physicians update their points of view and "re-examine what they're doing.''
...
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