CT scans deliver higher-than-expected radiation doses & higher cancer risk
"The issue is important, investigators say, because over the past two decades, the use of diagnostic CT has skyrocketed: from 3 million scans nationwide in 1980 to 70 million in 2007. In the latest study, exposure varied widely both within and between hospitals, with a median 13-fold difference between the highest and lowest dose for each study type, "highlighting the need for greater standardization across institutions," they wrote.
In addition to standardizing procedures, they suggested reducing the number of unnecessary CT scans and tracking dose information for individual patients to lower overall radiation exposure from medical imaging.
A second study, by Amy Berrington de González, DPhil, of the National Cancer Institute in Bethesda, Md., and colleagues, projected that 29,000 future cancers will be directly attributable to CT scans performed in 2007." keep reading...
The Wall Street Journal is also reporting on this here:
"The risk of cancer associated with popular CT scans appears to be greater than previously believed, according to two new studies published in the Archives of Internal Medicine Monday. The findings supported caution against the overuse of CT scans and other medical technologies that use radiation. They also bolstered the rationale behind controversial new breast-cancer screening guidelines, which pushed back the recommended age for annual mammograms to 50 from 40. Mammograms also use radiation, albeit in smaller doses."
In addition to standardizing procedures, they suggested reducing the number of unnecessary CT scans and tracking dose information for individual patients to lower overall radiation exposure from medical imaging.
A second study, by Amy Berrington de González, DPhil, of the National Cancer Institute in Bethesda, Md., and colleagues, projected that 29,000 future cancers will be directly attributable to CT scans performed in 2007." keep reading...
The Wall Street Journal is also reporting on this here:
"The risk of cancer associated with popular CT scans appears to be greater than previously believed, according to two new studies published in the Archives of Internal Medicine Monday. The findings supported caution against the overuse of CT scans and other medical technologies that use radiation. They also bolstered the rationale behind controversial new breast-cancer screening guidelines, which pushed back the recommended age for annual mammograms to 50 from 40. Mammograms also use radiation, albeit in smaller doses."
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