In clinical medicine, patients are exposed to varying doses of ionising radiation depending on the diagnostic imaging modality. The table below displays the average effective radiation dose for two types of examinations: a mammogram and a fluoroscopy-guided interventional procedure.
| Examination type | Average radiation dose in millisieverts (mSv) |
|---|---|
| Mammogram | 0.12 |
| Fluoroscopy-guided intervention | 15.0 |
The risk of developing a radiation-induced cancer is estimated to be approximately 1 in 18,000 for each mSv of effective radiation dose received.
Compare the risk of developing cancer from having a fluoroscopy-guided intervention with the risk from having a mammogram. Use the data in the table.
16 exam-style questions on AQA GCSE Physics 4.3 Hazards and uses of radioactive emissions and of background radiation, covering 4.3.1 Background radiation, 4.3.2 Different half-lives of radioactive isotopes, and 4.3.3 Uses of nuclear radiation. Each one has a worked solution and a mark scheme showing where the marks go.