Last Updated on May 2, 2023 by Neelam Singh
Quick Take
A social media post claims that if a woman gets a mammogram done every year or every six months, the amount of radiation she is exposed to is as much as she could have received during the Hiroshima atomic bomb tragedy. We fact-checked and found this claim to be False.
The Claim
A Twitter post reads, “If a woman follows the 10-year protocol of getting a #mammogram every year or every six months, she is getting as much radiation as a woman had at Hiroshima the atomic bomb if she stood a mile away from the epicenter.
Fact Check
What is a mammogram?
A mammogram is a type of medical imaging test that produces an X-ray picture of the breast. It is commonly used for breast cancer screening in women who have no signs or symptoms of the disease, as well as for diagnostic purposes in women who have breast lumps, pain, or other abnormalities. The ones that are used for screening are called screening mammograms, and those which are used for diagnostic purposes are called diagnostic mammograms. The procedure allows the detection of various abnormalities, such as breast cancers, benign tumours, and cysts, before they can be detected by palpation (touch).
Does the level of radiation exposure of regular mammograms equal the levels of the Hiroshima tragedy radiation?
No, 10 years of regular mammograms do not equate to Hiroshima radiation levels. Mammograms use very low doses of ionizing radiation, which is generally considered safe for breast cancer screening. The amount of radiation exposure from a mammogram with 2 views of each breast is typically about 0.4 millisieverts (mSv). 10 years of annual mammography would expose a patient to 10 times that, for a total radiation dose of 4 millisieverts. A person receives around 3mSv of radiation from their natural surroundings (background radiation) each year.
In comparison, the uranium bomb detonated over Hiroshima on August 06, 1945 had an explosive yield equal to 15,000 tonnes of TNT, which emitted thousands of times higher than the dose from a mammogram.
Even individuals who were in close proximity to the explosion and survived did not receive a dose of radiation equivalent to 10 years of regular mammograms. According to a 2014 study commissioned by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, the initial dosage of radiation absorbed by a human body standing 1600 meters (about a mile) away from ground zero of the Hiroshima atomic bomb was 403 millisieverts, which is 1000 times higher than what a woman gets in a mammogram.
Dr. Sarthak Moharir, Chief Radiation Oncologist Apollo Cancer Centre, Bilaspur, clarifies this by stating, “Mammograms are the gold standard for breast cancer screening. The radiation received by one mammogram exam is about 0.4mSv. Multiply this by 10 and we get 4mSv. An average individual is exposed to about 3mSv of radiation per year. So a 10-year exposure of 4mSv for a potentially life-saving intervention is negligible.
Simply put, the risk-benefit ratio of getting a mammography is more beneficial than any supposed risk.
Additionally, in today’s day and age, we have moved towards Sono-mammography, which uses no radiation, hence eliminating any radiation risk whatsoever.”
Lastly, it must be noted that the body does not absorb radiation exposure for 10 years of annual mammograms in a single dose. Instead, the exposure is spread out over time with each mammogram contributing a small amount of radiation. Normal breast tissue is capable of repairing any damage caused by the radiation between yearly or bi-annual screenings.
It’s important to note that mammograms are generally considered safe as long as the woman goes to a facility that is certified by the regulating agencies and is done under the guidance of a healthcare professional.
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