Are there beneficial health effects from exposure to ionizing radiation?
There are many beneficial effects from the use of ionizing radiation. Radiation is widely used in medicine for diagnosis and treatment of many diseases. It has been estimated that there are more than 200 million x-rays given each year in the United States to diagnose and evaluate diseases or accidents. Worldwide, this number has been estimated at about 2 billion/year. Because of the ability of radiation to kill cells, it has also been widely used in cancer therapy. About 5.5 million people are treated with x-rays each year to cure cancer. The use of radiation is a very important tool in our health-care system and has produced great health benefits. However, excessive use of radiation in medicine and the development of new techniques that deliver more radiation than may be needed for proper diagnosis remains as a concern for potential increased cancer risk. Extensive research is being conducted to determine if there are health benefits as well as adverse health effects from exposure to
