Ionizing radiation is a high-energy radiation, and a cause for concerns for radiation exposure in numerous occupational settings. Ionizing radiation contains enough energy to cause brain cancer and other serious health issues with acute or chronic exposure. Glioblastoma patients develop brain tumors after exposure to certain substances or high doses of ionizing radiation directed at the body.
Those in the Nuclear and Aerospace industries, as well as those working or living in Fernald, Ohio face an increased risk of developing certain cancers.
Joe Lyon is a highly-rated Personal Injury Attorney and workplace attorney who has represented individuals nationwide in personal injury claims. If you have been exposed to Ionizing Radiation, and have questions about your legal rights, please contact The Lyon Firm.
Who is at Risk of Developing Glioblastoma Cancer?
Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common malignant brain tumor in American adults. The cancer is particularly fatal, with a median patient survival of 12 to 15 months. In the United States each year, around 23,000 new diagnoses and 16,000 deaths are reported from brain and other central nervous system cancers.
The risk of developing brain cancer increases with age, and studies show risk increases in certain groups exposed to ionizing radiation. Radiation exposure can occur from ingesting, inhaling, injecting, or absorbing radioactive materials.
Both external and internal sources may compromise the whole body or a portion of the body. Ionizing radiation may affect a person by chronic or acute exposure by means of Radon, medical X-rays, nuclear medicine, and exposure to toxic consumer products.
What Causes Glioblastoma?
Understanding Glioblastoma
Glioblastoma is a fast-growing, aggressive type of central nervous system tumor that forms on the supportive tissue of the brain. Glioblastomas may appear in any lobe of the brain, but it develops more commonly in the frontal and temporal lobes. Glioblastoma usually affects adults.
Symptoms of glioblastoma vary depending on the location and size of the tumor, but they may include the following:
- Persistent headaches
- Double or blurred vision
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Loss of appetite
- Changes in mood or personality
- Difficulty in ability to think and learn
- Memory loss
- Onset of seizures
- Muscle weakness
- Speech difficulty
- Confusion
- Difficulty with balance
- Urinary incontinence
Occupational Radiation Exposure & Brain Cancer
Ionizing radiation sources can be found in a range of work settings. Radiation sources pose a considerable health risk to affected workers if not properly controlled and workers are not protected.
Occupational health hazards associated with ionizing radiation may be present in the following workplaces:
- Healthcare facilities
- Semiconductor factories
- Nuclear weapon production facilities
- Nuclear reactor facilities (Uranium mills and Fuel preparation plants)
- Hazardous waste operations
- Construction sites
- Military research facilities
- Pharmaceutical production facilities
