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From: geb@cadre.ARPA (Gordon E. Banks)
Newsgroups: net.med
Subject: Re: X-Ray exposures
Message-ID: <500@cadre.ARPA>
Date: Fri, 23-Aug-85 16:46:31 EDT
Article-I.D.: cadre.500
Posted: Fri Aug 23 16:46:31 1985
Date-Received: Mon, 26-Aug-85 01:30:57 EDT
References: <895@brl-tgr.ARPA>
Reply-To: geb@cadre.ARPA (Gordon E. Banks)
Distribution: net
Organization: Decision Systems Lab., University of Pittsburgh
Lines: 20

In article <895@brl-tgr.ARPA> wmartin@brl-tgr.ARPA (Will Martin ) writes:
> What ill effects have been noticed from these X-ray
>exposures, and what symptoms should those of us who have been so exposed
>look out for? Have there been any class-action suits against X-ray
>machine manufacturers or the like over such widespread misuse of the
>technology?
>

There are 2 types of misuse that have been documented to cause thyroid
cancer, 1: radiation of children with large thymus glands, 2: radiation
treatments for acne.  Neither are done any more.  You might have trouble
suing the manufacturer unless they sold the machine for the purpose of
performing those specific tasks, since there are legitimate uses of
x ray therapy, and it is up to the doctor to decide when to use it.
You could sue the doctor PROVIDED you can show you suffered damage
(i.e. thyroid cancer, etc.), but not just because you are miffed.
Maybe some others are aware of other cases of misuse that have
injured classes of patients, but I am not.