Radiation Exposure News and Research

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Sydneysiders consider class action over radiation poisoning

A class action against the New South Wales (NSW) government over alleged radiation poisoning is being considered by the relatives of a number of Sydney residents who died of cancer in the 1970s.

14 Apr 2008

New insight into radiation damage to DNA

A new technique for assessing the damage radiation causes to DNA indicates that the spatial arrangement of damaged sites, or lesions, is more important than the number of lesions in determining the severity of the damage.

24 Mar 2008

Scans spot hidden tumors in Li-Fraumeni syndrome

Researchers at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute report that full-body PET/CT scanning detected unsuspected, treatable tumors in 3 of 15 patients with Li-Fraumeni syndrome (LFS), a rare genetic cancer syndrome for which no screening tests have been recommended.

19 Mar 2008

Novel imaging technique provides comprehensive diagnosis of heart disease

In the current issue of the journal Circulation, a research team from the Medical University of South Carolina's (MUSC) Heart & Vascular Center report their initial experience with a novel imaging technique that enables comprehensive diagnosis of heart disease based on a single computerized tomographic (CT) scan.

6 Mar 2008

Working at a nuclear site may be bad for the heart

In a study of workers at four British nuclear sites, scientists have discovered a potential connection between exposure to radiation and heart disease.

5 Mar 2008

Study finds increase in thyroid diseases risk from radiation exposure at Chernobyl

Persons exposed to radioactive fallout from the Chernobyl accident as children and adolescents have an increased risk of follicular adenoma or benign tumor of the thyroid gland, according to researchers at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health.

20 Feb 2008

Balloon catheter-based sinus surgery radiation exposure very low, safe

A new and increasingly popular type of minimally invasive sinus surgery exposes patients to only "very low" doses of radiation during the procedure, a level considered to be safe, according to a new study published in the February 2008 issue of the journal Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery.

5 Feb 2008

Multiple behavioral risks for skin cancer among U.S. adults

Whether you're basking on the beach during vacation, coasting down glittering white snow on a weekend ski trip, or simply walking the dog or running errands, sunlight's ultraviolet rays can damage your skin year-round.

9 Jan 2008

Cone-beam breast CT compared to conventional mammography

Cone-beam breast CT provides exceptional tissue contrast and can potentially reduce examination time with comparable radiation dose to conventional 2D mammography, according to a new study by a team of researchers from the University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston.

28 Dec 2007

Stop whole body scans says committee on radiation risk

An advisory committee to the British government has called for private health clinics to immediately stop offering whole body scans to the "worried well", because they carry too great a radiation risk.

20 Dec 2007

Effects of space radiation on astronauts

Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) scientists recently led a team of researchers to study potential effects of space radiation on astronauts. The results of their study are revealing and will provide the foundation for ensuring the safety of crew members participating in long distance space travel.

12 Dec 2007

60 year mark reached in long-term radiation study

For the past 60 years, the National Academies have studied the health effects of radiation exposure in Japanese survivors of the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan.

5 Dec 2007

UCSF Medical Center advances brain disorder treatment with noninvasive radiosurgery tool

The most advanced noninvasive, radiosurgery tool for treating a variety of brain disorders--including tumors--is now being used by specialists at UCSF Medical Center.

4 Dec 2007

Hazards of CT scans overstated

Concerns over possible radiation effects of CT scans detailed in a report yesterday in the New England Journal of Medicine should not scare people away from getting medically needed CT scans, as the scans play a critical role in saving the lives of thousands of people every day, according to an official with the American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM).

2 Dec 2007

Stereo mammography improves cancer detection

A new radiological diagnostic tool called stereo mammography allows clinicians to detect more lesions and could significantly reduce the number of women who are recalled for additional tests following routine screening mammography.

29 Nov 2007

Defensive medicine leads to overuse of CT scans

Computed Tomography (CT) scans are an increasingly used X-ray-based tool for providing a three-dimensional view of a particular organ or tissue.

29 Nov 2007

Unprecedented increase in the use of radiologic exams on pregnant women

The past decade has seen an unprecedented increase in the use of radiologic exams on pregnant women, according to a study presented today at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA).

27 Nov 2007

Pregnant women may be having too many high-tech scans

A new study has found that pregnant women are having more high-tech imaging examinations and are thereby exposing their babies to higher doses of radiation than a decade ago.

27 Nov 2007

Skin injuries to patients can be avoided when radiation dose is monitored

Maximum radiation skin dose during coronary angioplasty can be accurately determined by monitoring the total entrance skin radiation dose as the patient is being examined and dividing that number in half according to a recent study conducted by researchers at Tohoku University in Sendai, Japan.

21 Nov 2007

New device delivers radiation therapy to specific tumor sites

Physicians at the Rebecca and John Moores UCSD Cancer Center will present the initial outcomes of their use of a new device that delivers radiation therapy to a specific tumor site at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA), November 25-30, 2007, in Chicago, Illinois.

19 Nov 2007