[ RadSafe ] BEIR VII repercussions in the medical community

[John Jacobus]

Rainer,
This is really not new news.  Similar comments appears
when the BEIR VII report appeared last year.  There
has been an effort over many years to reduce radiation
exposures to patients.  Well before the publication of
the BEIR VII report.  The real issue is the effect, if
any, such statements will have on the quality of
medical care.  I haven't heard of any.

--- Rainer.Facius at dlr.de wrote:

> 
> Some quotations from a recent MEDSACPE tutorial for
> general physicians
> and in particular for radiologists.
> 
> http://www.medscape.com/viewprogram/5063_pnt
> You may get access to the full paper at the above
> URL after registering
> for (free) access.
> 
> Imaging X-rays Cause Cancer: A Call to Action for
> Caregivers and
> Patients
> 
> Author: Richard C. Semelka, MD;  Director, Magnetic
> Resonance Services,
> Professor and Vice Chairman, Department of
> Radiology, University of
> North Carolina at Chapel Hill
> Disclosure: Richard C. Semelka, MD, has disclosed no
> relevant financial
> relationships.
> 
> Editor: Robert Chevrier;  Program Director/Site
> Editor, Medscape, Inc.
> Disclosure: Robert Chevrier has disclosed no
> relevant financial
> relationships.
> 
> Excerpts:
> 
> [...] the National Academy of Science released their
> 7th report on the
> Biological Effects of Ionizing Radiation (BEIR VII),
> which should be
> considered the definitive and indisputable
> authoritative resource on the
> subject of radiation risk
> [...]
> The above being said, the indisputable fact, and in
> my opinion rendered
> truly indisputable by the BEIR VII report, is that
> medical x-rays cause
> cancer.[1]
> [...]
> Of course, having said that, in reading the
> radiation science literature
> some research is even more alarming than the BEIR
> VII report.[15-17]
> [...] However, major policy shifts should probably
> only be made based on
> the consensus of the majority of experienced
> scientists in that field of
> research. That is what BEIR VII represents, and its
> findings are in line
> with all previous large consensus reports dealing
> with radiation and
> safety.[18,19]
> [...]
> BEIR VII, the definitive report, has been released.
> BEIR VII states that
> medical x-rays cause cancer, even in the doses of
> individual CT scans.
> [...]
> I recommend that you refer your provider to the BEIR
> VII report
> regarding radiation hazards,[1]
> [...]
> 
> Enjoy, Rainer :-(
> 
> 
> Dr. Rainer Facius
> German Aerospace Center
> Institute of Aerospace Medicine
> Linder Hoehe
> 51147 Koeln
> GERMANY
> Voice: +49 2203 601 3147 or 3150
> FAX:   +49 2203 61970
> 

+++++++++++++++++++
"It is not the job of public-affairs officers to alter, filter or 
adjust engineering or scientific material produced by NASA's technical 
staff."
MICHAEL D. GRIFFIN, NASA administrator.

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

__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Tired of spam?  Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around 
http://mail.yahoo.com