Answer to Question #4805 Submitted to "Ask the Experts"

Q

I have no medical insurance and travel to Korea a lot so, while there, I sometimes get medical things looked after. Last month I thought I should have a chest x ray done. I have played music forever in smoky bars and my dad died of lung cancer and my mother survived breast cancer. The Korean clinic I went to was small and not modern-looking at all. The x-ray machine looked very old to me. I faced against a metal thing and the picture was shot at my back. The x ray showed my spine, lungs, chest—everything normal. The doctor said the radiation would be small and showed me his license to operate it and the test from the city that approves the use of the machine every two years it is tested. After this I have had bad anxiety because of how crude the x-ray machine and room looked. My fear is maybe the machine was old and gave me a very high dose of radiation. There was no lead covering for any other part of my body either. Is there any word of comfort you can say about my situation?

A

Without having seen the x-ray unit or knowing the radiation safety regulations regarding testing of equipment and licensing of operators in Korea, I cannot determine the exact amount of radiation dose received during your chest x ray. Typically, of all of the diagnostic x-ray procedures that are performed, patient dose is usually very low for chest x rays. If the equipment was not properly maintained, that radiation dose may be slightly higher; however, the overall risk would not be much different. If you are concerned about lung cancer, being exposed to secondhand smoke would provide a much higher risk than a routine chest x ray. Also, if the x-ray beam was adjusted to the size of the film, then there is little need for any additional patient shielding because the collimators in the x-ray unit are able to block out almost all of the radiation outside the area of interest.

Ken "Duke" Lovins, CHP