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Answer to Question #5482 Submitted to "Ask the Experts"Category: Doses and Dose Calculations — Doses from medical sources The following question was answered by an expert in the appropriate field: Q
I am a 34-year-old female. I am so worried about my past
radiation exposure from x rays I can't enjoy my life. I remember at
least one chest x ray as a child. I have annual dental x rays. At age
32 I had a mammogram (two views of each breast) due to a lump I felt.
Everything turned out to be normal. A month before my 34th
birthday my doctor suggested I have another mammogram due to several
lumps in my breast. I had a diagnostic mammogram, eight views of one
breast and six views of the other. I also had a spine x ray in my early
20s. I don't have a lot of family and I am so scared I will not be here
to raise my kids because I am going to get cancer from these x rays. I
have read everything I can find about dose and I am not sure due to my
age if I have been overexposed. What are my risks? A
I'm glad you found us and am even more happy that I can say to you that
you can relax—you have not been overexposed and there is little, if
any, risk from these radiation exposures.
The reason I feel comfortable saying that is because the effective radiation doses from each of these x rays is very small and even together they are very small (too small to cause a biological effect). Although I can't calculate an effective radiation dose due to the limited amount of information, I would estimate—based on the types of x rays you mention—that your effective radiation dose would not even exceed the radiation dose you receive each year from naturally occurring "background" radiation. If you would like to see some actual numbers for typical medical exams, see our information page Doses from Medical Radiation Sources. Naturally occurring "background" radiation is around 3 mSv (300 mrem) per year. Please don't worry and have lots of fun with your kids. Kelly Classic Certified Medical Health Physicist
Answer posted on 9 May 2006. The information and material posted on this Web site is intended as general reference information only. Specific facts and circumstances may alter the concepts and applications of materials and information described herein. The information provided is not a substitute for professional advice and should not be relied upon in the absence of such professional advice specific to whatever facts and circumstances are presented in any given situation. Answers are correct at the time they are posted on the Web site. Be advised that over time, some requirements could change, new data could be made available, or Internet links could change. For answers that have been posted for several months or longer, please check the current status of the posted information prior to using the responses for specific applications.
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