Answer to Question #1345 Submitted to "Ask the Experts"

Q

Do radiologists have to be medical doctors? What are the risks of working in radiation therapy technology?

A

There are two similar terms in radiology: "radiologists" and radiographers." Radiologists are medical doctors who are specialists in radiology, the medical specialty that uses x rays and other radiation sources in making diagnoses and performing therapy. Radiologists are physicians who have completed a four-year residency in radiology and passed a rigorous Board Examination. Many radiologists have also done internships or fellowships to further learn and specialize. Radiographers are x-ray technologists. They are the ones who usually take the x rays or produce the images for the radiologists. Some x-ray technologists complete a 24-month, hospital-based training program while others are degreed with an associate or a bachelor's degree after completing a university-based curriculum combined with hospital-based clinical training. Others go on to get further education or specialization in radiation oncology, nuclear medicine, magnetic resonance imaging, ultrasound, CT scanning, etc.

Like radiologists, radiographers are required to demonstrate competency by successfully completing a comprehensive examination in their specialty. Radiation therapy (or radiation oncology) technologists have the important job of using radiation sources (typically beams from linear accelerators) to treat cancer patients. They work closely with the radiation therapy (or oncology) physicians to provide the exact radiation doses to the patients as specified by the physicians. By "risks in radiation therapy technology,"

I am assuming that you are referring to possible radiation exposure to the technologists from providing the treatment doses to the patients. This risk is quite low as the treatment units are housed in heavily shielded rooms that prevent radiation from getting out. While the radiation beam is on, the technologist is outside the room. Radiation doses to technologists are low and usually less than 10% of the regulatory limit for radiation workers.

Kenneth L. Miller, CHP, CMHP