The FDA today launched an initiative to reduce unnecessary radiation exposure from three types of medical imaging procedures: CT, nuclear medicine studies and fluoroscopy.

According to the agency, these three procedures are the greatest contributors to total radiation exposure within the U.S. population and use much higher radiation doses than other radiographic procedures, such as standard x-rays and mammography. Yet, the FDA also acknowledged that “CT, nuclear medicine, and fluoroscopic imaging have led to early diagnosis of disease, improved treatment planning and image-guided therapies that help save lives every day.”