Are Americans Exposed to Unnecessary Radiation for Medical Purposes?

In the past few decades, the emphasis on radiological imaging (i.e. CAT scans, PET scans, etc.) for medical purposes has skyrocketed. According to a report by the National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurement, the average American now receives seven times as much radiation exposure from medical imaging as the average American in 1980. Also, Americans are exposed to more medical radiation than people in any other country. Medical radiation in the United States accounts for half of all medical radiation worldwide. This is becoming a concern due to increased cancer risks from exposure to excessive amounts of radiation.

The major controversy is over the reason that Americans are exposed to so much medical radiation in the first place. There are two apparent reasons why doctors may be

ordering unnecessary medical scans:

(1.) Doctors may be ignorant about the proper guidelines for determining when diagnostic scans are needed; and (2.) Doctors may be willfully ordering excessive scans for personal insurance and monetary reasons. Clearly, doctors and patients need to be informed about medical radiation and the proper uses for these scans and procedures for their own protection. While cancer is unlikely to result from a few radiological imaging procedures, it is important to keep in mind that the risk of cancer increases as the radiation dose increases. Even occasional unnecessary radiological procedures can add up over the course of a person's entire lifetime. Because my major is Radiological Health Engineering, issues like this are of great interest to me.

Articles: "Radiologists Warn on Overuse of Medical Radiation", Nuclear-News, http://nuclear-news.net/2010/08/24/radiologists-warn-on-overuse-of-medical-radiation/; "Radiologists Call for Curbs on Overuse of Imaging", http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKTRE67N0O920100824; "Americans Overexposed to Radiation: Is Modern Science Making you Sick?", Ann Pietrangelo, http://www.care2.com/causes/health-policy/blog/americans-over-exposed-to-radiation/.

Abigail Hueske, VTPP 434-502