[ RadSafe ] President of American Roentgen Ray Society comments on BEIR VII

[John Jacobus]

I just say this:


For Release: June 29, 2005
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ARRS President Responds to NAS Report on Ionizing
Radiation

The National Academy of Sciences (NAS) today released
a report that indicates that low levels of ionizing
radiation may cause harm. The following is a response
to the report from Bruce McClennan, MD, president of
the American Roentgen Ray Society.

“This report suggests that there is a very small risk
for the development of cancer in a patient's lifetime
when exposed to low-level radiation such as that used
in diagnostic radiology procedures,” said Bruce
McClennan, MD, president of the American Roentgen Ray
Society. “The risk of any medical procedure deserves
our careful attention. Diagnostic radiology tests
should only be performed when medically necessary.
Screening tests, such as mammography, should only be
performed when the benefits outweigh the risk.
Radiologists are trained in the use of medical
radiation and committed to ALARA [as low as reasonably
possible] dosing as a guiding principle for
administering X-rays for necessary tests. Patients
should consult with their doctors and seek board
certified radiologists for the performance and
interpretation of examinations that require X-rays,”
he said. 

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The American Roentgen Ray Society (ARRS) was founded
in 1900 and is the first and oldest radiology society
in the U.S. The ARRS’ mission is to provide quality
education to radiologists and other members of the
health care team. It is internationally known for its
monthly peer reviewed medical journal and its annual
meeting. The ARRS headquarters is in Leesburg, VA.



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"Every now and then a man's mind is stretched by a new idea and never shrinks back to its original proportion." -- Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.

-- John
John Jacobus, MS
Certified Health Physicist
e-mail:  crispy_bird at yahoo.com

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