This article is more than 5 years old. Information may no longer be current.
Modern radiologists face no increased risk of cancer, death
Click Here to Manage Email Alerts
Modern radiologists are not at increased risk for radiation-related mortality, according to findings published in Radiology.
“Internationally, it has been estimated that there are 2.3 million medical radiation workers, and they comprise about half of the workforce exposed to manmade sources of radiation,” Amy Berrington de Gonzalez, DPhil, of the division of cancer epidemiology and genetics at NCI, and colleagues wrote. “It is important to continue to study occupational groups who are exposed to radiation to determine if radiation protection measures are adequate.”
Researchers used the American Medical Association Physician Masterfile to compare the cancer and mortality rates of radiologists (n = 43,763) with those of psychiatrists (n = 64,990), who were chosen for comparison because of their “low probability of occupational exposure to ionizing radiation.”
The study focused on men due to the relatively small numbers of female radiologists and psychiatrists. All of the doctors graduated from medical school between 1916 and 2006.
The follow-up period spanned from 1979 to 2008, during which time 4,260 (12%) male radiologists and 7,815 (16%) male psychiatrists died.
Radiologists had a lower overall risk for death than psychiatrists (RR = 0.94; 95% CI, 0.90-0.97). However, both professions had a similar risk for death from any type of cancer (RR = 1; 95% CI, 0.93-1.07).
Radiologists who finished medical school before 1940 had an increased risk for skin cancer mortality (RR = 6.38; 95% CI, 1.75-23.30), driven by melanoma. Radiologists in general had an increased risk for death from all myeloid leukemias (RR = 1.43; 95% CI, 1-2.05), which researchers reported was “largely due to acute myeloid leukemia and/or myelodysplastic syndrome in those who graduated before 1940.”
Radiologists who graduated after 1940 had no significant increases in risk for any solid, hematologic or site-specific solid cancers. Researchers also reported an increased risk for deaths related to cerebrovascular disease in radiologists from the pre-1940 group (RR = 1.49; 95% CI, 1.11-2.01).
“The excess risk of acute myeloid leukemia and/or myelodysplastic syndrome in radiologists compared with psychiatrists who graduated before 1940 is likely due to higher occupational radiation exposures,” Berrington de Gonzalez and colleagues wrote. “Occupational radiation doses have been reduced substantially, and we found no evidence of excess mortality in U.S. radiologists who graduated from medical school after 1940, possibly because of increased radiation protection and/or lifestyle changes.” – by Andy Polhamus
Disclosures: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.
Click Here to Manage Email Alerts