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RE: MEDHP-SEC: Re: Breast Cancer High in X-ray Techs Before1950
William H. Rollins was a Boston dentist who was a pioneer in
radiation protection. His recommendation for shielded tube housing
was published in his book "Notes on X-Light", published in 1904.
Apparently the elimination of unshielded tubes and exposed cables
began in the World War I era, but was not completed until after
World War II. Change can be agonizingly slow; I have witnessed
such during my career. A dental example: ANSI speed group E
intraoral dental film was introduced in 1982. An improved version
came some five years ago, and group F more recently. Yet the
overwhelming majority of American dentists are still using D film,
which dates from the mid-fifties. The medical analogy would be
continued use of par speed. The newer films could reduce patient
exposure by 50-75% with no loss in diagnostic information.
Convesely, European dentists have adopted the new faster film.
Julian Gibbs
--On Wednesday, June 26, 2002 5:11 PM -0400 "Jacobus, John
(OD/ORS)" <jacobusj@ors.od.nih.gov> wrote:
> Ted,
> I am looking at Figure 11 in the article "X rays in diagnostic
> radiology" by Ed Webster that appeared in the November 1995 issue
> of Health Physics. It shows a "lead-shielded exclosure for an
> x-ray tube, desgined by H. Rollins for F. H. Williams." The
> article states the Rollins was the first to design tube housings
> to reduce x-ray exposure to the patient and physician.
>
> My impression was that x-ray units was becoming common place in
> the 1920's
>
> -- John
> John Jacobus, MS
> Certified Health Physicist
> 3050 Traymore Lane
> Bowie, MD 20715-2024
>
> E-mail: jenday1@email.msn.com (H)
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Ted de Castro [mailto:tdc@xrayted.com]
> Sent: Wednesday, June 26, 2002 4:25 PM
> To: Grissom, Mike
> Cc: Jacobus, John (OD/ORS); 'Frame, Paul'
> Subject: Re: MEDHP-SEC: Re: Breast Cancer High in X-ray Techs
> Before 1950
>
>
> Actually - I have a book called "Trail of the Invisible Light"
> that is an excellent historical reference on the subject and also
> suggests that 49 or 50 is when tubes became shielded. By '55 for
> SURE they looked much as many do now.
>
> "Grissom, Mike" wrote:
>>
>> Ted,
>>
>> I believe Howard Andrews, a Public Health Service Officer
>> who was active in the 1930s and 1940s (more or less a
>> contemporary of Dale Trout's), had written a number of
>> papers on x-ray equipment of the era as well. You might
>> be able to find some specific references if your search
>> covers 'very old' journals/magazines!
>>
>> Howard, alas, died a few years ago. He was in his high-90s
>> but could still communicate by mail with us regarding his
>> participation in atmospheric nuclear testing in the
>> 1940s/1950s when I was at the NTPR office in the 1982-1985
>> period.
>>
>> I believe there is an HPS pioneer video on Howard in the
>> system somewhere, perhaps Paul Frame knows the details.
>>
>> S.,
>>
>> MikeG.
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Ted de Castro [mailto:tdc@xrayted.com]
>> Sent: Wednesday, June 26, 2002 12:56 PM
>> To: Jacobus, John (OD/ORS)
>> Cc: 'RadSafe'; 'HPS Medical Physic Section'
>> Subject: MEDHP-SEC: Re: Breast Cancer High in X-ray Techs Before
>> 1950
>>
>> 1950 was JUST ABOUT the time the "shock proof" shielded tube
>> housing came to be!
>>
>> Before that it was unshielded glass tubes, aerial HV cables and
>> spark gap regulation.
>>
>> At least that is what I derive from reading articles by Trout
>> dated in the early 50's.
>>
>> Wasn't actually there (or at least not old enough to know
>> anything relevant) so can't say for sure.
>>
>> Maybe some slightly more senior person can add some first hand
>> information.
>>
>> "Jacobus, John (OD/ORS)" wrote:
>> >
>> > I thought this might be of interest.
>> >
>> > -- John
>> > John Jacobus, MS
>> > Certified Health Physicist
>> > 3050 Traymore Lane
>> > Bowie, MD 20715-2024
>> >
>> > E-mail: jenday1@email.msn.com (H)
>> > -------------------------------------------------
>> > Breast Cancer Mortality High in X-Ray Techs Who Worked Before
>> > 1950
>> >
>> > NEW YORK (Reuters Health) Jun 19 - Women who worked in the US
>> > as
> radiologic
>> > technologists before 1950 have a higher risk of death from
>> > breast cancer compared with women who started working in such
>> > jobs in 1960 or later, according to a report in the June 19th
>> > issue of the Journal of the
> National
>> > Cancer Institute.
>> > Dr. Michael Hauptmann from the National Cancer Institute in
>> > Bethesda, Maryland, and colleagues collected data on 65,525
>> > female radiologic technologists who had been certified in the
>> > US between 1926 and 1982.
>> >
>> > The researchers examined deaths from breast cancer and their
> relationship to
>> > the women's work history and practices. They also adjusted the
>> > data for known risk factors.
>> >
>> > The highest risk of death from breast cancer was found among
>> > women who became radiologic technologists before 1940
>> > (relative risk 2.92), and between 1940 and 1949 (relative risk
>> > 2.44), compared with women who
> started
>> > working as radiologic technologists in 1960 or after. After
>> > 1960 the
> risk
>> > declined.
>> >
>> > Among women who performed fluoroscopy and multifilm procedures
>> > before
> 1950,
>> > there was a significantly increased risk of breast cancer
>> > death compared with women who first performed these procedures
>> > in 1960 or after, the researchers found.
>> >
>> > In a statement, Dr. Hauptmann and colleagues conclude that "the
> increased
>> > risks of dying from breast cancer among radiologic
>> > technologists who
> first
>> > worked or worked 5 or more years prior to 1950 were likely due
>> > to higher levels of radiation exposure before 1950, since
>> > recommended radiation exposure limits were dramatically
>> > reduced between 1930 and the late
> 1950s."
>> >
>> > J Natl Cancer Inst 2002;94:943-948.
>> >
>> >
> -----------------------------------------------------------------
> -----------
>> > ----
>> >
>> > Reuters Health Information 2002. © 2002 Reuters Ltd
>> >
>> > **************************************************************
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***********************************************************
S. Julian Gibbs, DDS, PhD Voice: 615-322-1477
Professor, Emeritus
Dept. of Radiology & Radiological Sciences
Vanderbilt University Medical Center Home: 615-356-3615
209 Oxford House Email:s.julian.gibbs@vanderbilt.edu
Nashville TN 37232-4245 or alias:j.gibbs@vanderbilt.edu
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