Benefits of Radiation

Many tests performed in the Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging use small amounts of ionizing radiation. Your doctor has requested these tests to better diagnose and manage your condition These tests are very different from radiotherapy in which much higher doses of ionizing radiation are used to treat cancers, because radiation can be targeted to kill cancers. Radiotherapy is performed by the Department of Radiation Oncology. One of the main benefits of radiation is that modern imaging allows for earlier and more accurate diagnosis, so that patients can be better treated and have better outcomes. For example, in a randomized study at Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge, England, patients admitted because of severe abdominal pain were randomized to have a CT scan within 24 hours of admission or to have standard care. None of the 55 patients who got an early CT scan died, compared to 7 who died in the group of 63 patients who did not get an early CT scan . Such studies indicate the benefits of radiation through diagnostic tests are real and not just theoretical.