Medical scans (CT scans, mammograms, etc) use ionizing radiation which damages DNA and causes cancer.
Research and resource curation, including research showing that 1) mammograms do not reduce risk of death, and 2) a higher incidence of breast cancer was caused from mammography radiation.
Contents
Introduction & Terminology (Radiation Terminology, Medical Terminology)
Ultrasounds & Radiology: Evidence of Harm
Alternatives & Considerations
Context: See how this subject fits in the bigger picture, and get links to related topics
Introduction & Terminology
If you didn't know that medical scans (CT scans, mammograms, etc) use ionizing radiation which damage DNA and cause cancer, I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news. But the good news is that being informed brings empowerment. Once you see the research for yourself, you'll be empowered to make informed decisions.
Medical Scans Use Ionizing Radiation, Which Can Damage DNA & Cause Cancer
The radiation you get from x-ray, CT, and nuclear imaging is ionizing radiation — high-energy wavelengths or particles that penetrate tissue to reveal the body’s internal organs and structures. Ionizing radiation can damage DNA, and although your cells repair most of the damage, they sometimes do the job imperfectly, leaving small areas of “misrepair.” The result is DNA mutations that may contribute to cancer years down the road… Don’t ask for a CT scan just because you want to feel assured that you’ve had a “thorough checkup.” CT scans rarely produce important findings in people without relevant symptoms. And there’s a chance the scan will find something incidental, spurring additional CT scans or x-rays that add to your radiation exposure. – Harvard Medical School
Radiation Terminology
Radiation / Electromagnetic Radiation
Ionizing radiation
“Radiation with enough energy to remove tightly bound electrons from the orbit of an atom, causing that atom to become charged or ionized… Not all electromagnetic radiation is ionizing. Only the high frequency portion of the electromagnetic spectrum, which includes X rays and gamma rays, is ionizing.” [source]
“Forms of radiation that are energetic enough to displace orbiting electrons from the atoms in the absorbing medium, thus forming positive ions. The process of ionization is the principal means by which ionizing radiations dissipate their energy in matter and thus may cause biomolecular damage. [source]
High Frequency Radiation Such as X-Rays and Gamma Rays Can Be Harmful to the Body
Electromagnetic radiation comes from atoms, the building blocks of all matter. Some of the particles that make up atoms have an electric charge. The motion of these charged particles produces energy that can be described as traveling as waves. These waves combine electricity and magnetism. They can travel through… space… through air and even solid substances, such as glass… Like all waves, electromagnetic waves have peaks and valleys. The distance from the peak of one wave to the peak of the next wave is called a wavelength. Different kinds of electromagnetic waves have different wavelengths… The shorter the wavelength, the more energy the radiation carries. The types with the most energy—ultraviolet radiation, X-rays, and gamma rays—can be harmful to the body. – Brittanica
Medical Terminology
“Ultrasound uses sound waves to produce moving images of a part of the body… Ultrasound does not involve radiation.” [source] An Echocardiogam is a Heart Ultrasound.
Radiologists use ionizing radiation for “diagnostics” and sometimes as “treatment” (called “Interventional Radiology” here and “Therapuetic Radiology” here).
Types of ionizing radiation imaging include X-rays, Radiographs, Mammograms, CT /CAT scans (computed axial tomography), MRI scans, Breast-Specific Gamma Imaging, DEXA scans, Angiograms / Arteriograms, Fluoroscopy, and Nuclear Medicine Scans. [source and source and source and source]
There are non-contrast imaging techniques and contrast imaging techniques. In contrast imaging, people get IVs or injections with “contrast agents” to enhance the visibility of images. These injected agents may include iodine, gadolinium — a heavy metal — or radioactive substances. [source time 23:23]
Ultrasounds & Radiology: Evidence of Harm
“Ultrasound: On Creating Harm, Generating Fear and New Business” — “In 2001, 67% of pregnant women had at least one ultrasound. In 2009, 99.8% of pregnant women in North America had at least one ultrasound, with an average of three ultrasounds per woman. The ultrasounds done on pregnant women today use sound waves with eight times the intensity used before 1991, a time period that roughly coincides with the alarming increase in autism diagnoses… A study of over 15,000 women found no difference in fetal outcomes between those receiving two routine scans vs. those only scanned for specific medical indications. Another study of 2,834 women found a significantly higher rate of intrauterine growth restriction in babies who received multiple ultrasounds… Non-medical fetal ultrasound sessions at commercial franchises often last 15-45 minutes to obtain an ideal image, significantly longer than a typical medical scan.”
“Trials in China that Gave Ultrasound… Reveal Clear Damage to Fetal Tissues” — “Evidence shows early fetuses are especially vulnerable to ultrasound, with trials in China that gave ultrasound before abortions revealing clear damage to fetal tissues. Ultrasound harms are dose-dependent. In 1992, despite safety concerns, the FDA raised permissible U.S. levels eightfold, which may have contributed to the rise of chronic childhood illnesses. The benefits of prenatal ultrasounds are often exaggerated, leading to unnecessary treatments that harm both mothers and infants. This article reviews the risks and benefits of prenatal ultrasound, along with safer alternatives and strategies for ensuring a healthy pregnancy.” See also: Pregnant Mamas Need to Avoid Prenatal Ultrasounds; “Wombs don’t come with a view for a reason. Unless a pregnant mama and her partner plan to abort, there’s no reason to do any routine ultrasounds in the absence of other clinical data indicating a problem… And I devote a chapter of my book, Your Baby, Your Way… to obstetric ultrasounds.” See also: The Hidden Dangers of Prenatal Ultrasound
Mammograms: “Research Demonstrates This Test Does Not Reduce Your Risk of Death from the Disease” — “There are a significant number of drawbacks to consistent mammograms, and research demonstrates this test does not reduce your risk of death from the disease. Mammograms, used to detect breast cancer, employ ionizing radiation that carries a risk of developing cancer; 3D mammography, also called breast tomosynthesis, uses more radiation to achieve sharper images. Data show after 10 mammograms you have a 50% to 60% risk of receiving a false positive result, potentially necessitating further testing with more radiation or even treatment. You may be able to prevent 75% to 90% of breast cancers through lifestyle changes, such as reducing exposure to hazardous toxins, seeking out organic products, severely reducing refined sugar and fructose, and limiting protein.” See also: Mammography Screening: The Great Hoax; “Overdiagnosis is a major harm of screening, affecting about one in three screen-detected breast cancers. This means finding cancers that would never have caused symptoms or death if left undetected. Estimates range from 30%… to 52%… Overdiagnosis leads to unnecessary treatment, including surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy, causing physical and psychological harm to healthy women.” See also: What I Read This Week; Dr. Adam Cifu MD: “I’m an avowed mammogram skeptic… Mammograms… do quiet harm – false positives, overdiagnosis, and radiation exposure – and I think the harm outweighs the benefit… The purpose of screening is not to find cancer. The purpose of screening is not to find cancer earlier. The purpose of screening is not to shift the grade or stage at diagnosis. We screen to lower mortality (ideally overall mortality, not just diagnosis specific mortality).”
“Research has Revealed How Dangerous Mammograms Are” — “The Lancet wrote in July 1995 that ‘the benefit (of mammograms) is marginal, the harm caused is substantial, and the costs incurred are enormous…’ In one large study looking at 60,000 women, the researchers found that 70% of the detected tumors were not tumors at all… Routine mammography exposes the individual to an exceptionally high amount of ionizing radiation. Ionizing radiation is something we are all exposed to in nature and the body can handle a certain amount each year without it becoming risky. One series of mammograms (2 xrays on each breast) is equivalent to the radiation dose of 8 normal chest or spinal x-rays.” See also: When More Informed, 20 Percent of Women in Their 40s Want to Delay Mammograms
2017 Research Proved Increase in Breast Cancer is Caused Not from Increased Diagnosis, but from Mammography Radiation — “Mammography screening is associated in most countries with a higher incidence of breast cancer, attributed to overdiagnosis. X-ray-induced cancers can be distinguished from overdiagnosed cancers by the fact that their incidence depends on the number of previous mammograms, whereas overdiagnosis solely depends on the last screening mammogram, leading to diagnosis… The risk of breast cancer almost doubled after 15 years of screening. Additional cancers began to occur less than 6 years after mammography. These results are evidence that X-ray-induced carcinogenesis, rather than overdiagnosis, is the cause of the increase in breast cancer incidence.”
Swiss Medical Board Cited Research and “Recommended No More Systemic Mammograms”; “The Swiss Medical Board reviewed all of the available evidence and released a report in February of 2014 stating the evidence does not support a common medical mantra that mammograms are safe and capable of saving lives. It appears that mammography may prevent only one death for every 1000 women screened while causing harm to many more… The most recent study published in the British Medical Journal involved 90,000 women followed for 25 years, found that mammograms had absolutely no impact on breast cancer mortality. In addition, this study found that 22% of cancers were over‑diagnosed, leading to unnecessary treatment with surgical interventions, chemotherapy and radiation… The most important choice that women can make is to focus their attention on prevention of breast cancer rather than early detection.”
Ionizing Radiation Causes DNA Damage and Cancer — “Awareness of the carcinogenic role of ionizing radiation (such as X-rays) has emerged gradually over the last century, but although the mechanism is now very well known (it involves DNA breaks), the level of risk remains unknown to most physicians… John Gofman, a physician and physicist… had been commissioned by the US Atomic Energy Commission to assess the risks of radiation… The findings presented in his book… were that 75% of breast cancers in American women were related to medical radiation… After Gofman’s work, other studies have reported risks in agreement with his finding. In a study from 2019, a single abdominal CT scan in girls is associated with a 3-fold increase of breast cancer risk… According to Gofman, medical radiation could be not only a major cause of cancer, but also coronary disease.” See also: Breast cancer incidence as a function of the number of previous mammograms: analysis of the NHS screening programme; “DNA damage, and particularly the formation of DNA double strand breaks, is the main factor in the carcinogenic action of X-rays.” See also: DNA Damage Produced by Ionizing Radiation in Mammalian Cells (1988); “This chapter provides a framework for understanding the way permanent heritable damage in cellular DNA results from exposure to ionizing radiation.” See also: The role of double-strand break repair — insights from human genetics (2006); “Several human congenital disorders with defects in damage-response mechanisms to double-strand breaks have been described. These include… ataxia [brain damage]… Fanconi anaemia [bone marrow failure]… These disorders are associated with a… range of clinical features that… include immunodeficiency, development delay and microcephaly [brain growth failure], cancer development and premature ageing.” See also: Oxidative Stress: Harms and Benefits for Human Health; “There has been an extensive effort to understand the physical and molecular cellular response that follow the exposure to ionizing radiation. It is well recognized that damage to DNA operated by generation of radicals that indirectly cause DNA double-strand beaks is the most severe kind of damage induced…”
The Injected Agents Used for “Contrast Imaging” Can Cause Serious Chronic Disease, Kidney Injury & Fatal Brain Damage — “Researchers… revealed potential chronic health problems linked to magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agents… The metal gadolinium can remain in the body and lead to multiple conditions, such as kidney injury, debilitating joint and skin problems, and even fatal brain damage… MRI contrast agents are compounds used to make internal body structures more visible on MRI scans. Gadolinium, a rare earth metal, is… administered intravenously or injected into the spinal column… This metal is known to be toxic…” See also: Contrast-induced Nephropathy; “Contrast-induced nephropathy is a serious complication of angiographic procedures resulting from the administration of contrast media [in imaging procedures such as a CT scan]. It is the third most common cause of hospital acquired acute renal injury and represents about 12% of the cases.” See also: These 7 Common Everyday Meds Are Harming Your Kidneys [time 6:09]; “Excessive use of contrast media can affect your kidney health. The special [agents] used in these scans can hurt your kidneys… Stop metformin before contrast media… drink a lot of water to flush out the dyes.” See also: Should You Be Concerned About Contrast MRI Scans? [time 23:23]
CAC Scores involve CT Scans and thus, Radiation Exposure; CAC Doesn’t Save Lives — “The coronary artery calcium (CAC) score – an estimation of coronary atherosclerotic plaque via calcium build-up on CT – has been promoted as a powerful predictive tool for estimating the chance of future cardiovascular events… There is no current evidence that CAC scoring saves lives… One of the main concerns of CAC scans are the risk of inappropriate testing. Adults scanned at younger ages may not realize the test has low diagnostic utility in their age group and may fail to adequately control risk factors once their clinician has reassured them with… a negative scan. The opposite issue – the potential for overtreatment – can be seen in a study showing CAC… misclassified a higher absolute number of patients without events. And although the radiation exposure is indeed mild, more coverage will inevitably lead to more exposure.”
“A Class Action Settlement on Par with Smoking, Talcum Powder, or Asbestos is Not Inconceivable.” — “Screening mammography uses ionizing radiation, a known carcinogen… Exposure is cumulative. Also, the absorbed dose varies with the density of the breast. Women with more glandular tissue receive a higher exposure… There is some percentage of breast cancers which are caused by screening mammography… A world where discovery of radiation induced cancers becomes possible may change practice behaviors.”
In the ICU, Point of Care Ultrasound More Helpful, Less Risky & Harmful than Chest X-rays, CT Scans and Formal Ultrasound Exams — “I was one of the… pioneers in a newly developed field called ‘Point of Care Ultrasound’ (POCUS), where we developed and taught ultrasound diagnostic skills to bedside physicians… to help doctors make life-saving or critical diagnoses rapidly and efficiently, i.e ‘at the point of care.’ Knowing how to perform and interpret such exams on my own allowed me to bypass the need to put in an ultrasound order, await an ultrasound technician to perform an almost always unnecessarily comprehensive exam (for billing/reimbursement), transmit the images to the radiologist, and then wait for the radiologist to get to the study in their queue and then interpret and report and then send the report to the ordering doctor. When someone is crashing in front of you, this process presents a massive obstacle to delivering accurate and often life-saving care in an efficient manner… Thus you can understand the immense importance of having an ultrasound trained doctor at your bedside, particularly (and almost exclusively) for those in the ICU. As an expert in the field I wondered how my POCUS skills were impacting my ordering of chest x-rays, CT scans, and formal ultrasound exams. So I set out to gather data that would allow me to compare my diagnostic testing use against the other ICU specialists on the Critical Care Service.” See also: Variation in Resource Use And Life Saving Skills Among ICU Specialists
On Generating Sales
I am now firmly of the view, that if you are healthy (they call that “asymptomatic” nowadays) you should not volunteer for any type of checkup, screening or test. All businesses need to “generate sales opportunities”… [Establishment medicine] promotes a society wide paradigm and culture of “checks” to make sure you or your baby are “ok” or “on track.” These checks (tests, screening etc.) will typically generate numbers, images, and other forms of data. That data is then referenced against “ranges”, that either tell you that “you are ok, for now” or “Houston, we have a problem.” Far too often, it’s the latter, which generates anxiety, concern and fear, which is the fuel on which Industrial Medicine runs. Checks generate data that generates fear, which generates new business. – Ultrasound: On Creating Harm, Generating Fear and New Business
Alternatives & Considerations
Thermography Measures Heat Signals without Using Radiation — “Mammography… uses low-dose X-rays to identify abnormalities within the breast tissue… It has risks and limitations: False negatives… Radiation exposure… Overdiagnosis… One systematic review estimated the breast cancer overdiagnosis rate at 52 percent. The review concluded that one in three breast cancers detected in women offered a mammography is overdiagnosed…. Thermography, also known as digital infrared thermal imaging, is a noninvasive screening test that uses an infrared camera to detect subtle temperature changes on the skin’s surface. These changes can provide clues about what’s happening inside the body… Unlike other imaging methods, there’s no compression or radiation involved, and the camera never touches the patient.”
Mentha Extract (from Peppermint) Protects Against Radiation-Induced Damage — “Preclinical research indicates peppermint protects against radiation-induced DNA damage and cell death.” See also: Peppermint has neuro-protective properties against gamma irradiation induced DNA fragmentation and apoptosis; “Ionizing radiation is classified as a potent carcinogen, and its injury to living cells, in particular to DNA, is due to oxidative stress enhancing apoptotic cell death… Mentha extract seems to have a significant role to ameliorate the neuronal injury induced by gammairradiation.” See also: Peppermint protects against radiation-induced testicular damage
Curcuminoids (from Turmeric) Target Ten Factors involved in Cancer Development, Including DNA Damage — "Research... found that curcuminoids target ten factors involved in cancer development. This includes chronic inflammation, DNA damage and disruption of cell signaling pathways. Curcumin supplementation was shown to target destruction of cancer cell mitochondria, disrupt the cancer cell cycle and arrest stem cell development that facilitates further cancer cell formation... You can learn more... in this article on the differences between normal and cancer cells."
Context, Organized Curation
This article is part of a vast resource curation centered on the corruption and betrayal of establishment medicine. See here for the entire collation, or select links below to focus on an individual subject.
The subject matter above is an excerpt from Cause of Harm. Ultrasounds and radiology are one of 14 types of tests and drugs covered there.
Failed Health Outcomes — The U.S. spends nearly twice the per-capita amount on healthcare than the next highest spender, yet Americans are the most chronically ill, and rank 48th in life expectancy, among other countries. In addition, medical misdiagnosis causes permanent harm and death to 795,000 people every year.
Verifiably Corrupt — Establishment medicine as a system* is verifiably corrupt, and structured to serve the interests of industry — not health. (*Obviously, not every individual working in establishment medicine is unethical. Rather, the system that educated / indoctrinated them, and that sets policy, hires, pays, and promotes them is verifiably corrupted.)
Not Evidence/Science-Based — The bulk of establishment medicine’s standard of care is not based on unbiased, reproducible science. (We prove it here.)
Regulatory & Professional Betrayal — Government agencies entrusted to regulate the field of medicine fail to do so. The majority of influential professional organizations such as the American Medical Association are corrupted by industry.
Cause of Harm: Evidence by Drug, Treatment, and Test — Establishment medicine providers routinely utilize diagnostic testing and “treatments” that have harmful (“adverse”, “side”) effects, some of which have a high risk of severe consequences. Get verifiable evidence of the harms, organized by drug, treatment, or test (mammograms, CT scans, antibiotics, statins, benzos, etc).
Drug & Vaccine Harms: Organized by Illness or Symptom — Review an illness or symptom of interest, and quickly identify drugs and vaccines that may have caused it (e.g. depression, infertility, kidney issues, nervous system disorder, seizure, etc).
Failed Strategies; Suppressing Symptoms vs. Resolving Cause — The philosophies and strategies used by establishment medicine are dysfunctional and irrational, including a focus on suppressing symptoms rather than understanding them. Providers do not seek to identify and resolve root causes of illness. Diagnosis is simply an exercise in naming groupings of symptoms, disconnected from their purpose and message.
Stifling Treatments That Don’t Enrich Industry — Healing modalities that don’t benefit industry are underutilized, suppressed, disparaged and attacked. Providers who are perceived as a threat to establishment dictates are intimidated and condemned.
Suppressed Cancer Treatments — Cancer treatments that don’t benefit establishment medicine are ignored and disparaged. This curation of more than 150 clinical studies and testimonials provides quick access to documented cancer reversal and recovery successes.
The Significance of Legal Precedent — Legal precedent, breach of duty, and “standard of care” are significant factors in the state of the medical industry.
Alternatives & Considerations — Alternatives, considerations, and what you can do.