All opportunities come with risk, and I think that advanced medical technology is no exception. While dangers exist with both CT scans and radiation therapy, there is no question that these procedures are means of detection and treatment for disease, and have advanced long-term health outcomes for patients. However, use of these procedures begs a new question: how can we quickly and efficiently respond to the problems brought about by new technology?

The answer to this question isn't readily available, which makes this such a complicated issue. Ultimately, there remains the problem of insufficient regulation, which seems to occur too often. A financially overburdened and potentially understaffed medical system may not be equipped to have teams of therapists and physicists monitoring every procedure, which heightens associated risks. Stringent regulation of existing protocols is essential in such situations. In the article mentioned in the prompt, it was noted that a patient at Stony Brook University Medical Center "received 10 times as much radiation as prescribed in one spot, and one-tenth of her prescribed dose in another." While the therapist was "reprimanded," the article also mentions that there simply aren't enough consequences for such mistakes, namely fines and license revocations. However, this introduces another issue: how much falls on the shoulders of the therapist, physicist, or physician? What types of consequences are suitable? Should an otherwise exemplary therapist have his/her license revoked due to an error that may be instrument malfunction? Where does the responsibility of medical equipment manufacturers come into play?

Alternatives should always exist, and patients should be made aware of such alternatives. Any procedure, big or small, is associated with risks - even simple blood draws. With complicated procedures such as CT scans and radiation therapy, the risks multiply. Stricter regulations, on both equipment and personnel, as well as more frequent quality-control measures may help to reduce these risks, but may not eliminate the problem.