skip to main content
RadInfo Logo Home

Does radiation risk depend on gender?

The health status of men versus women and boys versus girls can be significantly different by virtue of the differences in their gender. This is true regardless of any exposure to radiation. Photo showing a diverse group of people.

Many studies have found that a number of major illnesses are influenced by gender. The same holds true for the potential risks associated with exposure to x-rays or radiation from radioactive materials (also called ionizing radiation).

Breast image

For example, female breasts are more sensitive to ionizing radiation than male breasts. While men can develop breast cancer, it is extremely rare. The risk for radiation-induced breast cancer in men is extremely small. It should be noted that radiation risk for both genders decreases as we get older. See Does radiation risk depend on age?

Females have a higher risk of radiation-induced:

  • Lung cancer
  • Thyroid cancer
  • Breast cancer

For more information about potential cancer from radiation exposure, refer to safety and diagnostic medical radiation.

This page was reviewed on April 15, 2022

Sponsored By

Please note

RadiologyInfo.org is not a medical facility. Please contact your physician with specific medical questions or for a referral to a radiologist or other physician. To locate a medical imaging or radiation oncology provider in your community, you can search the ACR-accredited facilities database.

This website does not provide cost information. The costs for specific medical imaging tests, treatments and procedures may vary by geographic region. Discuss the fees associated with your prescribed procedure with your doctor, the medical facility staff and/or your insurance provider to get a better understanding of the possible charges you will incur.

Web page review process: This Web page is reviewed regularly by a physician with expertise in the medical area presented and is further reviewed by committees from the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) and the American College of Radiology (ACR), comprising physicians with expertise in several radiologic areas.

Outside links: For the convenience of our users, RadiologyInfo.org provides links to relevant websites. RadiologyInfo.org, RSNA and ACR are not responsible for the content contained on the web pages found at these links.