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Unnecessary CT Scans Pose Risk

Routine CT scans may pose unexpected radiation hazards. Many people think of a “Cat” scan as rather benign. It certainly sounds less scary than an X-ray. But CT scans use a lot of X-radiation. Some experts estimate that a typical scan is comparable to 400 chest X-rays.
Now scientists from the University of Wisconsin in Madison suggest that too many people are being needlessly exposed. More than half the patients in their study had received CT scans that were unnecessary. These experts calculate that as many as 20,000 cases of cancer each year might be attributed to the excessive radiation in CT scans.
[Meeting of the Radiological Society of North America, Dec. 1, 2009]

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About the Author
Terry Graedon, PhD, is a medical anthropologist and co-host of The People’s Pharmacy radio show, co-author of The People’s Pharmacy syndicated newspaper columns and numerous books, and co-founder of The People’s Pharmacy website. Terry taught in the Duke University School of Nursing and was an adjunct assistant professor in the Department of Anthropology. She is a Fellow of the Society of Applied Anthropology. Terry is one of the country's leading authorities on the science behind folk remedies..
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