[img_inline align=”right” src=”http://padnws01.mcmaster.ca/images/Boreham_Doug1.jpg” caption=”Doug Boreham will discuss Medical radiation: the good, the bad and the ugly at the next Science in the City lecture on Tuesday, April 8 at 7 p.m. File photo.”]Radiation. It's a hot topic (no pun intended) that seldom conjures up many positive images, linked often with words like “toxic,” “hazard,” “threat” or “risk.”

While thousands of Canadians have benefited from the use of radiation as a medical therapy to kill their cancer cells and shrink their tumours, there are those who believe that any dose of radiation is life threatening.

Much is misunderstood about the effects of medical radiation — an issue that radiation biologist Doug Boreham will address in the Science in the City lecture, Medical radiation: the good, the bad and the ugly, on Tuesday, April 8.

Boreham, an associate professor in the Department of Medical Physics & Applied Radiation Sciences, will help the public navigate through some of the contradictory information that seems to be appearing almost weekly in the media.

“Some 'scientists' are trying to make people worry about getting cancer from too many CT (or CAT) scans, or that women should avoid mammograms because they increase their risk of getting breast cancer. My research doesn't support these claims and I'd like to tell people how these techniques are beneficial to help detect and treat disease, while at the same time, may be protecting our cells from environmental carcinogens,” explains Boreham.

In a career spanning more than 23 years, Boreham has become a world expert on the health effects of low-dose radiation, radiation cancer risk and the genetic effects of radiation on living systems.

The purpose of his talk will be to help the audience understand the real risks or benefits associated with medical radiation exposure. Join him on Tuesday, April 8 at 7 p.m. in The Hamilton Spectator Auditorium to find out if medical radiation is really that good, bad or just ugly.

The lecture is free and all are welcome. The lecture will be held in the Auditorium of The Hamilton Spectator, 44 Frid Street in Hamilton. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the lecture begins at 7 p.m. To reserve your seat, please e-mail sciencecity@mcmaster.ca or call 905-525-9140, ext. 24934.