What happens if a Radiation Therapist becomes pregnant?

Question

I'm looking into getting in to school to become a Radiation Therapist, and I was wondering what would happen when I decide to have more children.

Would I have to quit my job? Are they required to allow me leave? I don't understand what I'd do because administering the radiation could effect me child!

Also, if I got pregnant without knowing, would the previous daily exposure while working be enough to effect the egg and/or sperm (immediately... before fertilization), or the fetus?

Yes, the Therapist wear protective gear and stand behind glass, but you still have some exposure to it. In fact, visiting with a person who has received radiation therapy is exposure for you! The rooms are kept closed and marked as Radiation Zones because the room still contains Radiation in the air.

There's actually limits to the amount of time you can administer radiation yearly, to make sure you're below the harmful level, and all workers are checked periodically.

I was just wondering if the government/state regulation levels for a worker were below what would cause defects in a sperm/egg or fetus...

Answer 1

As far as I can remember (going back to when I was in x-ray school years ago), radiation therapists are not exposed to much if any radiation. Radiologic technologists (aka x-ray techs) are exposed to small doses of radiation, however. I am assuming you are really talking about radiation therapy, when you are delivering a dose of radiation to treat cancer patients.

When I did my rotation through the radiation therapy department, I remember that the therapists left the room whenever radiation was present. As a therapist, you would accompany the patient into the treatment room, position the patient, then leave the room before the radiation is delivered to the patient. Before re-entering the room, the radiation is terminated. Radiation therapy delivers a large dose of radiation (much larger than any dose used for any radiology imaging studies), and I do not believe that ANYONE, pregnant, fertile or not, is exposed to these doses.

Even rad. techs, who are exposed to some radiation, can work safely throughout their pregnancies. Even though my career involves radiation, it is different, so I could be wrong regarding the exposure to radiation therapists.

I would suggest that before you decide on any career, you should do an observation period in that field. That way you can really see what all is involved in the career. It would be a good way to talk to radiation therapists and get their opinions and experiences. Best wishes....

EDIT: Actually, I know you are wrong about radiation in the air or patients being radioactive after their therapy session. When an exposure ends, there is no residual radiation. A person receiving radiation does not expose other people to radiation. I know that is a fact. Radiation does not fly around a room, nor does it penetrate the leaded walls and glass which protects the operator. Any person working with radiation wears some type of radiation detector, to monitor their exposure, but I have never heard of any worker, in modern times, being taken out of work due to over exposure. It just is not a dangerous profession.

Here is a couple of examples from a website which has questions answered by qualified medical personel who are experts in radiation and it's effects:

"QUESTION: I am in my first trimester of pregnancy. A friend of mine is getting whole-body radiation for four days (twice a day). Is there a risk to the fetus being around her for these days?
ANSWER: There is no residual radioactivity or radiation in the bodies of persons who have been exposed to diagnostic or therapeutic x rays. Once the machine that delivers the x rays has been turned off all radiation immediately disappears. You may be thinking of nuclear medicine procedures, in which patients are given radioactive materials (either oral or IV) and remain radioactive until the material decays or is excreted, generally hours to a few days. There is no risk to anyone from proximity to a patient after exposure to medical x rays.

S. Julian Gibbs, DDS, PhD"

http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos299.htm

AND:

"QUESTION: I am about five weeks pregnant and my husband and I are living with my parents while waiting for our new home to be completed. My mother was recently diagnosed with breast cancer and will have surgery. She will start radiation treatments for cancer soon after surgery and I don't know if it will be harmful to be around her during that time.
ANSWER: I am sorry to hear that your mother was diagnosed with breast cancer. You know that proper treatment can be very successful in this illness. She needs your support and hugs and you need not be concerned about your mother exposing you to any radiation. Your mother is not radioactive after treatment, not even for a split second. The ionizing radiation leaves energy-destroying effects that cure or attempt to cure the disease, but do not make her radioactive.

If you are healthy and have no personal or family history of reproductive or developmental effects, you began your pregnancy with background risks that are 3% for birth defects and 15% for miscarriage.

Good luck with your pregnancy and your mother's cancer treatment.

Robert Brent, MD, PhD"

http://hps.org/publicinformation/ate/q5607.html

Because of your updated question, I really think you need to talk to someone in the field of radiation therapy. If nothing else, talk to a program director of whichever radiation therapy program you are thinking of applying to. Or, again, observe a radiation therapy department and talk to the therapists there.

Also, look at this site. It says that radiation doses to radiation oncology (which is radiation therapy) workers is ZERO:

http://hps.org/publicinformation/ate/q4651.html

And more resources:

http://hps.org/publicinformation/ate/q2719.html

http://hps.org/publicinformation/ate/q2310.html

Answer 2

When you can't get pregnant, and things look good from the outside, it can be extremely frustrating. You can find the solution here http://pregnancy.kyma.info
The first thing to consider is how long have you been trying. About 80% of couples will get pregnant after 3 months of trying, and about 90% will be pregnant after 6 months of trying to get pregnant. (And that's with well-timed intercourse each and every month.)
If you haven't been trying for at least 3 months, or you haven't been timing sex for ovulation, then you should keep on trying.
If you have been trying for 3 to 6 months, and you're still not pregnant, something may be wrong. Having regular menstrual cycles doesn't mean you're in the clear. There are many possible reasons for infertility. The best solution is to follow some online method as "Pregnncy Miracle" that will probably solve your problems http://pregnancy.kyma.info

Answer 3

What Do Radiation Therapists Do

Answer 4

Ummm, wow, that's an interesting question. I would assume that the place that was hiring you would have to put you on paperwork duty or something while you were pregnant. I don't know the odds of it effecting you. Don't radiation people wear protective aprons/clothing and stand behind some other protective wall while the radiation is being administered? It would be an interesting question to ask your MD next time you're in for sure.

Answer 5

i don't think you have to give up work at all! jobs that can put any pregnant women at risk from anything the employer has to change there job in some sort of way?
but don't anybody that works around radiation/x-ray or thing similar wear those heavy lead vest apron things to protect the female bits from exposure? which means there would be no or very little risk?

Answer 6

Yes, radiation, under a certain amount, is dangerous for anyone--especially for a fetus. I believe they would allow you to miss months under maternity leave. But don't take my word for it, it's better to consult someone who actually had some experience in the field.

As for you, Mr. Bono, who thinks that radioactive mutation is a myth, go back to your basic high school biology class. I think you might have missed the lesson about protein synthesis.

Answer 7

You will either have to do work away from the equipment or wear protective shields when you are working. My sister is an X-ray and mammography tech and she just wore special protective aprons during her pregnancy to protect her from the radiation. My nephew is now 4 and totally healthy and gorgeous!

For the best answers, search on this site https://smarturl.im/aDD2I

Answer 8

radiation therapist pregnant

Answer 9

Are you in canada because they are required to give you aleave of a year for any baby. I do now a lady who did this and she has 2 kids and they were fine. I would suggest going to the hospital and asking some one doing that job or if you know some one ask them

Answer 10

You are not exposed to radiation
Only the patient is
You stand behind a shield while performing the X-rays
You also wear a vest thingy to protect you
I worked in a hospital and one of our Xray techs was pregnant
It was fine