'Second-hand' exposure may be particularly dangerous for pregnant women
(NEWSER) - Medical experts and lawmakers are becoming increasingly concerned about health dangers radioactive cancer patients pose to fellow citizens, particularly to pregnant women and children. People treated for thyroid cancer are given radioactive iodine, which can potentially present dangerous levels of radiation to those near them for up to a week. There are some 40,000 new cases of thyroid cancer a year, and most are treated with radiation. The Nuclear Regulatory Agency dropped requirements in 1997 that such patients be quarantined for a time, allowing them to return to the public or their families immediately after treatment. More»
