Former FDA staffer says agency officials suppressed radiation concerns with CT scans

Staffer: FDA suppressed imaging safety concerns

WASHINGTON — A former Food and Drug Administration scientist says he was fired after raising concerns about the risks of radiation exposure from high-grade medical scanning.

Dr. Julian Nicholas told an audience of imaging specialists that he and other FDA staffers “were pressured to change their scientific opinion,” by managers.

Nicholas made his remarks at a public meeting designed to kick off the FDA’s campaign to reduce radiation exposure from medical scanning. The agency is seeking input from physicians and manufacturers on additional safety controls and training to improve CT scanners and other medical imaging devices.

The average American’s radiation exposure has nearly doubled in the last three decades, largely due to imaging tests, according to the FDA.