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Backscatter X-Ray Machines Easily Fooled
Pinckney writes "A paper by Leon Kaufman and Joseph W. Carlson in the Journal of Transportation Security asserts that x-ray backscatter machines are not very effective (PDF) even in their intended role. While carelessly placed contraband will be detected, the machines have glaring blind-spots and have difficulty distinguishing explosives from human tissue. As they write, 'It is very likely that a large (15–20 cm in diameter), irregularly-shaped, cm-thick pancake [of PETN explosive] with beveled edges, taped to the abdomen, would be invisible to this technology. ... It is also easy to see that an object such as a wire or a boxcutter blade, taped to the side of the body, or even a small gun in the same location, will be invisible.'"
You might have gone through radiotherapy, but these machines work on different frequencies and different energy levels. Yes, the wave energies might not be as high as in radiotherapy, but that doesn't make it less dangerous, it actually means that the skin gets the dosage instead of the body.
The dosage you have received over the course of your treatment was carefully measured and calibrated often. It was also administered by a person trained in radiography and the repercussions of radiation.
Also, remember that the dose applied in the scan is done over a relatively short period. For the sake of an analogy, think of the difference in pressure between a stilletto heel and a boot heel on your foot. One will hurt, the other will go right through you.
Compare the mass of your skin to that of your body, add in that you're getting a dose like that in a short time and then come back to me when you realise that it is actually a very serious health concern.
Yes, IANaRP (nuclear and radiation physicist). Posted anon, because I'd like to keep my job.