Procedures so harmful to the cells of the body are overlooked by patients. Radiation kills cells, which is why it is used to treat cancer. According to an article by M. D. Celeste Robb-Nicholson (2010), “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” (para. 3). This buildup of “misrepaired” cells can result in cancer that appears years later. By then, patients amount their problems to something else besides the numerous scans they receive.
