RSNA Looks at Nuclear Medicine and Cataracts

An experienced radiologist and clinical educator, Dr. Sammie I. Long has spent more than 30 years helping prepare young radiological professionals for their careers. Alongside her academic career, Dr. Sammie I. Long is a longtime member of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA).

According to a recent study highlighted by the RSNA, radiological technicians who administer nuclear medicine scans and tests are more likely to develop cataracts than those who have never given that type of procedure. With nuclear medicine procedures becoming increasingly common in the United States over the past 30 years, researchers have begun looking at the association between the ionizing radiation of these tests and any long-term effects that may befall those who administer them.

The lead study author, Marie-Odile Bernier, MD, PhD, said that according to the research, this exposure led to more cataract diagnoses. She also urged that further research be done regarding the different lens doses in nuclear radiation and their relation to cataract diagnoses, to see if some doses are more likely to lead to cataracts than others.