A good piece (see earlier post Medical Radiation and Cancer: Patients Take the Risk in Game of Russian Roulette) on the increase in medical radiation. Some of the factors:
- Increased use of CT scans (100-500 times more radiation than X-rays)
- Doctors in private practice recouping the expense of imaging equipment
- Hospitals duplicating results
- Patient wish for the most that medicine can offer
- Lack of cumulative tracking of radiation on patients
- Lack of consequence for prescribing unnecessary imaging
As always, patients should ask the following questions:
- What is this test for?
- Do I need it? Why?
- Do I need it now?
- What difference will this make in treatment options?
Medical Radiation Soars, With Risks Often Overlooked – NYTimes.com.
