Benefits of CT outweigh cancer risks in young adults

According to a study published in the journal, "Radiology," the use of CT (computed tomography) has increased by 10% over the last 15 years in the US.  Some worry that this could cause an increase in radiation-induced cancer, but researchers from this study find that getting the CT, and the benefits of having those results, outweighs the risks associated with potentially developing radiation-induced cancer.

“The impetus for our study was the concern that the lay press often focuses on potential harm caused to patients by CT imaging,” Dr Lee says. “Lacking in this discussion is a sense of how sick these patients already are,” according to Dr Susanna Lee, chief of women’s imaging at Massachusetts General Hospital and assistant professor of radiology at Harvard Medical School in Boston.

After analyzing over 22,000 patient records, consisting of abdominopelvic and chest CTs.  After a follow up period of 5.5 years, 3.9% of abdominopelvic and 7.1% of chest CT patients died.  These numbers are much higher than the 0.1% long term risk of radiation-induced cancer from the CT scan itself.

The results discuss being aware of what the patient is getting the CT scan for as well as the radiation risks associated with a CT scan.

For the full article, visit http://www.aalatimes.com/2013/02/25/benefits-of-ct-outweigh-cancer-risks-in-young-adults/.

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