Studies show increased cancer risk from CT scans

Two reports in the December 14/28 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine found that doses of radiation from CT scans vary widely, appear higher than generally believed, and may contribute to an estimated tens of thousands of future cancer cases.

About 70 million CT scans, or computed tomography, were performed in 2007, and the scans have been growing in popularity, reports the ConsumerAffairs.com article “Studies Measure Cancer Risks From CT Scans: Cancer Risks Doubled in Some Cases.”

"While CT scans can provide great medical benefits, there is concern about potential future cancer risks because they involve much higher radiation doses than conventional diagnostic X-rays," the authors of one report write. For example, a chest CT scan exposes the patient to more than 100 times the radiation dose of a routine chest X-ray.

The report says that while risks to individuals are likely to be small, "even small risks could translate into a considerable number of future cancers." The authors note that it is important to understand how much radiation medical imaging delivers to help balance benefits and risks.

See the article for details on what the studies found.

It’s important for consumers to be informed about possible risks from CT scans. Consumers should ask their doctors questions about the scans, such as, "Why do I need this test; how will having this test improve my health care; and are there alternatives that don’t use radiation that are equally as good?"