Go Ad-Free
logoThe People's Perspective on Medicine

Radiation from CT Scans May Pose Risk

CT scans are under continued scrutiny for safety. A few weeks ago a report at the Radiological Society Meeting of North America suggested that routine CT scans add to the overall radiation burden. As many as 20,000 cases of cancer annually might be attributed to excessive radiation from unnecessary scans.
Now two studies published in the Archives of Internal Medicine provide more specific statistics. According to one study, the radiation from CT scans done in 2007 alone will result in 29,000 cancers and 15,000 deaths.
The second study analyzed information from more than 1,000 patients who received scans in 2008. The radiation exposure from the computed tomography ranged from less than a year’s worth of background radiation to 13 times that. Some experts have compared the radiation in a single CT scan to that from 400 chest X-rays. Others say it is comparable to the radiation experienced by survivors of the Nagasaki atomic bomb blast. As a result, patients are now being urged to make sure that the scan is absolutely necessary before they agree to it.
[Archives of Internal Medicine, Dec. 14/28, 2009]

Rate this article
star-fullstar-emptystar-fullstar-emptystar-fullstar-emptystar-fullstar-emptystar-fullstar-emptystar-fullstar-emptystar-fullstar-emptystar-fullstar-emptystar-fullstar-emptystar-fullstar-empty
0- 0 ratings
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..
Tired of the ads on our website?

Now you can browse our website completely ad-free for just $5 / month. Stay up to date on breaking health news and support our work without the distraction of advertisements.

Browse our website ad-free
Join over 150,000 Subscribers at The People's Pharmacy

We're empowering you to make wise decisions about your own health, by providing you with essential health information about both medical and alternative treatment options.