Americans' Radiation Exposure Rises 6-Fold in 29 Years

Re-Examining the Scan?

Experts noted that another contributing factor is a lack of standardized guidelines that outline the appropriate circumstances under which to use certain screening tests.

"We need more guidelines on whether a radiologist needs to do scan or not, and we need to do a better job teaching medical students about to go into primary care practices about the appropriate use of these technologies and the long-term risks of overuse of these screening tools," Lichtenfeld explained.

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However, experts also pointed out that health care professionals are not the only ones to blame for the overuse of these tests.

"What patients shouldn't do is self-refer themselves for an imaging test," Kase said.

Amis explained that more and more patients are coming into their doctor's office and demanding screening tests that are perhaps unnecessary or premature.

Still, most experts contend that imaging will always do more good than harm.

"Imaging is a critical tool in diagnosing brain disorders," said Dr. Nestor Gonzalez, assistant professor of Neurosurgery and Interventional Neuroradiology at UCLA. "The advanced imaging that we are able to do today… allows us to discover [abnormalities] that otherwise would not be found before devastating consequences. These images are also absolutely critical in performing less invasive surgical techniques, and when used in appropriate manner they are unquestionable tools that save lives."

For this reason, experts urge that those who are concerned about radiation exposure from medical imaging not to avoid these scans if they are prescribed by a doctor.

"It's important for people not to be afraid of getting radiation exposure for a medical condition that they're physician thinks they need," Kase said. "I think we can state pretty certainly that for the most part, the benefit the patient will get from the exam will be greater than any harm that the radiation might deliver -- as long as the test has been prescribed by a physician and there's a clear reason for doing the test."