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Why We Should Think Twice About Getting A CT Scan

People fear radiation for good reason. All ionizing radiation passes unimpeded through cells of the body, mutating or destroying DNA along the way. The danger level depends on the dose and the length of exposure. We're exposed to small amounts of radiation all the time -- from cosmic rays to the normal radioactive decay of soil, rocks and building materials. Even the granite in the U.S. Capitol Building emits low levels of radiation. These levels are harmless, but a high dose can kill, and prolonged or repeated moderate exposure can lead to cancer. So why are we afraid of nuclear power, but not worried about the radiation in medical imaging tests, such as a CT scan? Here are a couple of scenarios…

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Featured

 It Is Time to Inform Patients of Medical Imaging Risks

Medical imaging with computed tomography (CT) is an increasing source of population exposure to ionizing radiation, and a growing body of evidence, including the large study by Bastiani et al, indicates that patients have limited understanding about imaging, wish to be informed of the risks, but frequently are not.

 Radiation Dose in X-Ray and CT Exams

Comparisons of effective radiation dose with background radiation exposure for several radiological procedures.

Articles of Interest

Are Dental X-Rays Safe?

The amount of radiation you’re exposed to during dental X-rays is very low, said David J. Brenner, director of the Center for Radiological Research at Columbia University. It’s much lower than it was decades ago, and often less than the total radiation you’re exposed to every day from your environment, such as from the sun, space and materials in the ground like rocks and soil, he said.

Do X-Rays Increase My Risk of Cancer?

The risks are real—but usually outweighed by the benefits.

How Much Radiation Do You Get From a Mammogram?

Not much.

How to Understand and Communicate Radiation Risk

It would be difficult to address all the benefits that are associated with the utilization of radiation in our everyday lives, including its use in medicine. Suffice it to say that radiation is extremely beneficial in many aspects of life when used appropriately. With respect to the use of radiation for diagnosis, assistance in medical interventional procedures, and therapy, the benefits need to be weighed relative to the potential risks.

Imaging Studies - Our Children are Glowing

Children have ten times the risk for CT Scan caused cancer compared to adults. Ultrasounds and MRIs, whenever appropriate, should be substituted especially in the younger population.

Inside Scan: Are Common Medical Tests and Procedures Always Necessary?

In the past fifteen years, according to a new report, the use of CT’s has tripled, which means that Americans have been exposed to twice as much radiation from medical imaging as they were in the mid-1990s. CT scans can blast the radiation equivalent of up to 70 standard X-rays at once; they should be used for more urgent situations—not, say the Choosing Wisely panel, to explore milder conditions such as sinus problems, fainting spells, headache, or nonspecific abdominal pain (start with an ultrasound, which uses no radiation).

Medical Radiation Soars, With Risks Often Overlooked

Radiation, like alcohol, is a double-edged sword. It has indisputable medical advantages: Radiation can reveal hidden problems, from broken bones and lung lesions to heart defects and tumors. And it can be used to treat and sometimes cure certain cancers. But it also has a potentially serious medical downside: the ability to damage DNA and, 10 to 20 years later, to cause cancer. CT scans alone, which deliver 100 to 500 times the radiation associated with an ordinary X-ray and now provide three-fourths of Americans’ radiation exposure, are believed to account for 1.5 percent of all cancers that occur in the United States.

Radiation Concerns Rise With Patients’ Exposure

Even in health care systems in which doctors do not bill for each test they administer, the use of diagnostic imaging like CT and PET scans has soared, as has patients’ radiation exposure, a new study has found.

Radiation exposure from imaging tests: is there an increased cancer risk?

The increasing exposure to low-dose radiation from diagnostic testing has prompted renewed interest in evaluating its carcinogenic risk, but quantifying health risk from low-dose radiation exposure remains controversial. The current approach is to adopt the linear non-threshold model, which is commonly applied to high-dose exposure, and apply it to assess risk from low-dose exposure. However, existing data are conflicting and limited to epidemiological studies...

Radiation exposure from medical imaging: A silent harm?

Advances in medical imaging have had a considerable impact on medical practice over the past few decades. Regrettably, many such procedures expose patients to ionizing radiation, which may result in injury. Survey data show that physicians generally underestimate the magnitude of radiation doses and their associated effects, and thus underestimate the risk to patients undergoing medical imaging procedures

Radiation risk from medical imaging

There's always questions about radiation exposure from medical imaging. Patients want to know if radiation from mammograms, bone density tests, computed tomography (CT) scans, and so forth will increase their risk of developing cancer. For most women, there's very little risk from routine x-ray imaging such as mammography or dental x-rays. But many experts are concerned about an explosion in the use of higher radiation–dose tests, such as CT and nuclear imaging.

Radiation Risks Prompt Push to Curb CT Scans

Although there is no evidence on how many scans are too many, hospitals are also acting to reduce the number of scans patients receive over time, especially younger patients and those who have repeat problems such as kidney stones.

That Lead Apron in the X-Ray Room? You May Not Need It

A number of radiology organizations are trying to end the decades-old practice of shielding patients from radiation with lead aprons.

The Hidden Dangers of Medical Scans

The actual danger to an individual receiving a scan (or even two or three) is relatively low. The overall risk of the average woman getting cancer at some point in her lifetime is about 38 percent; getting a single CT scan raises that risk to perhaps 38.001 percent, Boice explains. But since no one knows who is most likely to be affected, there is an element of radiation roulette at play.

Understanding Radiation Risk from Imaging Tests

In large doses, radiation can cause serious tissue damage and increase a person’s risk of later developing cancer. The low doses of radiation used for imaging tests might increase a person’s cancer risk slightly, but it’s important to put this risk into perspective. Here are answers to some of the more common questions people have about radiation risks linked to imaging tests.

What Your Doctors Don’t Know Can Hurt You

Is your physician increasing your risk for cancer?

Which Imaging Has The Most Radiation?

The actual amount of radiation exposure from an imaging procedure varies based on factors like the type of scan, your size, the type of machine used, and how sensitive the targeted tissue is

Resources

Image Gently

The Image Gently Alliance is a coalition of healthcare organizations dedicated to providing safe, high-quality pediatric imaging worldwide. The primary objective of the Alliance is to raise awareness in the imaging community of the need to adjust radiation dose when imaging children. The ultimate goal of the Alliance is to change practice until imaging doses are optimized at the point of care.

Image Wisely

Image Wisely aims to raise awareness and provide up-to-date educational resources for radiology professionals and referring clinicians regarding the safe use of adult medical imaging.

Ultrasound First

Ultrasound First is an endeavor devoted to education and increasing awareness of the effectiveness of ultrasound in enhancing patient care.

StatPearls

This topic explains how to quantify radiation, the biological effect of radiation, risks to healthcare workers due to radiation exposure, and certain recommendations and tips for various medical professionals.