I came across an interesting article the other day which I felt is relevant to many people given the increasing use of CT Scans. This article which contains info from the New England Journal of Medicine gives cause for further thought.
The key message to be taken from this is, think twice before having a scan. Is it really necessary or is there an alternative diagnostic tool available?
Here is the article:
CT Scans: They are responsible for 2 per cent of all cancers
13 December 2007
CT (computed tomography) scans are the cause of up to 2 per cent of all cancers. The effect could be far worse among children, who are more sensitive to irradiation.
The scans, which seem to especially cause cancers of the lungs and colon, produce a radiation dose similar to that of the atom bombs that were dropped over Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945.
Each scan produces a radiation dose of around 15 mSv in an adult, and 30 mSv in a newborn child, and as standard treatment is for two to three scans, the overall dose reaches 45 mSv. Survivors of Nagasaki and Hiroshima were exposed to doses slightly below 50 mSv.
Around 11 per cent of all CT scans are carried out on children to determine if they have appendicitis, and researchers fear that, even if they do not develop cancer immediately, they are still at greater risk as adults as their radiation load continues to increase.
In the US alone, 62 million scans are performed every year, mainly to check on seizures, chronic headaches and trauma, an extraordinary increase since 1980 when just 3 million scans were performed.
Researchers from Columbia University Medical Center in New York base their cancer estimates on radiation exposure from survivors of the atomic bomb blasts, and from a major study into the health of 400,000 workers in the nuclear industry.
They also reckon that up to a third of all CT scans are unnecessary or could be replaced by safer technology such as ultrasound.
If that’s so, it means that 20 million adults and 1 million children are unnecessarily irradiated every year in the US – and also being exposed to the risk of cancer.
(Source: New England Journal of Medicine, 2007; 357: 2277-84).
Reader Comments (4)
I have experienced leg cramps for over two years. I have CLL and I was wondering whether or not that has anything to do with it. I have not taken chemo or radiation as of this date. Any information you could give me would be helpful to show my doctor.
Thank you.
Peggy
It seems like radiation is everywhere these days with cell phones, radon, computers, microwaves, neighbors with satellite dishes (right next to you apartment or home), televisions, airports, airplanes, cell phone towers, and satellites, which are constantly bombarding us with radiation from space. How much more of this can our bodies take? Most troubling is the fact of the cumulative exposure, just like chemicals. In the future, it will show people who have gotten sick from all this exposure, just as it is now showing with chemicals and environmental pollutants. Any suggestion Warren other than to move a remote island and live away from civilization?
I know some supplements help protect against radiation like Holy Basil, kelp, Korean Ginseng, etc.
Also, there are products sold which claim to help protect the body.
Thanks,
Chris
January 4, 2008 | Chris
Hello Peggy,
I really don't know if the CLL would be a contributing factor in causing your leg cramps. Very often these are due to a magnesium deficiency which can be brought about through medication.
I would suggest that you try taking a magnesium supplement to see if that relieves the problem.
Also, it would be worth while considering going on a high vegetable diet for a couple of months and seeing if this helps your overall health. Also try juicing up a cabbage each day and having a glass of this. I know it doesn't taste the greatest but it could help your condition.
January 7, 2008 | Warren Matthews
Hi Chris,
Yes, it is pretty difficult to get away from radiation.
Any product that claims to protect the body against radiation would in my opinion be a scam.
I believe that the only protection we can give ourselves is to ensure that we are doing everything we can to help prevent the degradation in our DNA which is ultimately the cause of all degenerative disease and premature aging.
So, if you are not already doing so make sure you are taking your Total Balance, which is designed for that purpose. :)
January 8, 2008 | Warren Matthews