Radiation Exposure News and Research

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New insights into cataracts

Using the tools and techniques of soft condensed matter physics, a research team in Switzerland has demonstrated that a finely tuned balance of attractions between proteins keeps the lens of the eye transparent, and that even a small change in this balance can cause proteins to aggregate and de-mix.

13 Nov 2007

Antioxidants inositol and inositol hexaphosphate could provide all-purpose radiation protection

Two common dietary molecules found in legumes and bran could protect DNA from the harmful effects of radiation, researchers from the University of Maryland report.

6 Nov 2007

Manipulation of MOF enzyme may make tumors more sensitive to radiation therapy

To make tumors more sensitive to the killing power of radiation is a key aspiration for many radiation oncologists. Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have uncovered new information that leads them closer to that goal.

5 Nov 2007

Children would need different medical care in wake of dirty bomb

If terrorists were to attack with a dirty bomb, medical authorities should be prepared to treat children differently than adults because their developing bodies would absorb and respond to the radiation exposure in distinct ways, according to a new study from the University of Rochester Medical Center.

31 Oct 2007

Intravenous gene therapy protects normal tissue of mice during whole-body radiation

Gene therapy administered intravenously could be an effective agent to protect vital organs and tissues from the effects of ionizing radiation in the event of large-scale exposure from a radiological or nuclear bomb, according to an animal study presented today by University of Pittsburgh researchers at the 49th annual meeting of the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology (ASTRO) in Los Angeles.

28 Oct 2007

Non-invasive imaging test could help prevent heart attacks

Kathy Brown says she always thought that heart disease was for those who smoked cigarettes, drank, ate a lot of red meat, and who were overweight.

1 Oct 2007

European directive will halt use of MRI scans; cancer diagnosis and treatment will suffer

Implementation of the Physical Agents (Electromagnetic Fields) Directive 2004/40/EC in all Member States could effectively halt the use of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), an important tool in cancer diagnosis, treatment, and research, a scientist told a press conference at the European Cancer Conference (ECCO 14) (Monday September 24).

25 Sep 2007

High-density diffuse optical tomography helps scan infant brains

Researchers hoping to better understand the development of the infant brain have long been stymied by a formidable obstacle: babies just don't want to sit still for brain scans.

22 Aug 2007

Novel radiotherapy approach for lung cancer

A novel radiotherapy approach has shown promise as a treatment option, and may possibly increase the cure rate, for people with early stage lung cancer who are unable to tolerate surgery, according to findings from a five-year study led by SUNY Upstate Medical University.

20 Jul 2007

Cancer risk from radiation during cardiac CT scans studied

An analysis based on computerized simulation models suggests that the lifetime risk of cancer associated with radiation exposure from a computed tomography (CT scan) coronary angiography varies widely, with the risk greater for women and younger patients, according to a study in the July 18 issue of JAMA .

18 Jul 2007

Capsule endoscopy effective in diagnosing gastrointestinal bleeding and small bowel Crohn's disease in children

The technology has been used successfully at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital for more than five years to diagnose unexplained abdominal bleeding in adults.

22 May 2007

Researchers create agent that protects cells from the lethal effects of radiation

No drugs exist to protect the public from the high levels of radiation that could be released by a "dirty" bomb or nuclear explosion.

9 May 2007

$CT better than plain radiographs in diagnosing lumbar spine fractures$

CT better than plain radiographs in diagnosing lumbar spine fractures

Lumbar spine fractures in a majority of patients with trauma can be detected by routine trauma abdomen and pelvis CT compared to plain radiographs, according to a recent study conducted by radiologists at the University of Cincinnati in Cincinnati, OH.

8 May 2007

Average U.S. resident is exposed to nearly six times as much radiation from medical devices than in 1980

Data from the first large-scale study of U.S. population radiation exposure since 1989 show the annual per capita radiation dose increased 5.9 times, from 0.54 millisieverts in 1980 to 3.2 millisieverts in 2006.

18 Apr 2007

Effective noninvasive treatment option for trigeminal neuralgia-related pain

Trigeminal neuralgia or tic douloureux is sometimes described as the most excruciating pain known to humanity.

17 Apr 2007

New guidelines for mammography

The American College of Physicians (ACP) has released a new clinical practice guideline for screening mammography for women 40 to 49 years of age.

4 Apr 2007

Women need to be well-informed about mammography screening

Should all women in their 40s be routinely screened for breast cancer? Not necessarily, according to the American College of Physicians.

4 Apr 2007

New blood test to rapidly detect levels of radiation exposure

In the event of a nuclear or radiological catastrophe -- such as a nuclear accident or a "dirty bomb" -- thousands of people would be exposed to radiation, with no way of quickly determining how much of the deadly substance has seeped inside their bodies.

4 Apr 2007

Are passive smoking, air pollution and obesity a greater mortality risk than major radiation incidents?

A new study has found that risks from radiation exposure to people involved in the Chernobyl incident may be much less significant than most of us think.

4 Apr 2007

Magnetic resonance angiography of supraaortic arteries

A novel type of contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance (MR) angiography is highly accurate in identifying blockages in the arteries that carry blood to the brain, according to a study in the February issue of Radiology.

30 Jan 2007