Tyroid Collar

Thyroid Collar: The Importance of Protecting Your Thyroid

According to a publication released by the American Thyroid Association in 2013, the thyroid is among the most “susceptible sites to radiation-induced cancer.” In the U.S. in particular, “thyroid cancer is increasing faster than any other with more than 56,000 people diagnosed in 2012 alone.” The ATA states that an “increase in the use of diagnostic x-rays, particularly CT, necessitates the protection of the thyroid gland” in order to diminish thyroid cancer risk. It is especially important to take into account repeated exposure to radiation over one’s lifetime when assessing this risk, and physicians who are undertaking these procedures without adequate protection are at risk from scatter radiation. The findings of the ATA indicate that revisiting the benefits of thyroid shielding is a practical and timely way to reevaluate how healthcare professionals can proactively protect themselves.