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Millions of Americans are receiving unnecessary
computed tomography (CT) scans that could be raising the risk of cancer, says a new report in the New England Journal of Medicine.
In a few decades, CT scans could be responsible
for up to 2% of cancers in the United States, according to co-authors David J. Brenner,
PhD. DSc. And Eric J. Hall, DPhil, DSe, of Columbia University Medical School.
Brenner and Hall also estimate that about one-third
of all CT scans might not be necessary.
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Although CT scans are popular because they offer
a quick, relatively cheap way to obtain 3D pictures, a typical CT scan can deliver 50 to 100 times more radiation than a conventional
X-ray, according to a Reuters Health article.
Never less, an estimated 62 million CT scans were
performed in 2006, compared to only 3 million in 1980. More than 4 million CT
scans in 2006 were performed on children.
Brenner and Hall suggest using the safer options
of ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging, which do not expose people to radiation, whenever practical.
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