Risk evaluation of diagnostic x-ray examinations of the chest.

Mortality risk factors for individual organs for radiation-induced fatal malignancies were derived from epidemiological studies. A method to express the mortality risk due to diagnostic X-ray examinations of the chest in a single parameter, the somatically effective dose, is demonstrated. An estimate of the collective effective dose and the number of fatal malignancies as well as a calculation of the monies which could be justifiably spent in reducing the collective effective dose and hence the number of fatal malignancies by a shift from photofluorography to "full size" radiography will be given.