Consumer Reports Warns Against the Risks of Radiation Overexposure from Unnecessary CT Scans

Researchers Estimate at Least Two Percent of All Future Cancers in the U.S. Will Stem from CT Scans Alone – That’s Approximately 29,000 Cases and 15,000 Deaths Per Year

Yonkers, NY – X-rays have been used for almost 120 years and computed tomography, or CT scans, were introduced in the 1970’s. These newer scans allow doctors to see with unprecedented precision the inner workings of the human body through the use of multiple X-ray images. Their use has grown from fewer than 3 million per year in 1980 to more than 80 million today.

CT scans emit a powerful dose of radiation, in some cases equivalent to about 200 chest X-rays, or the amount most people would be exposed to from natural sources over seven years. [Read more]

American Heart Association says lifetime cancer risk from heart imaging tests is low for most children; more complex tests may raise risk

Dallas, TX – Radiation from standard X-rays is relatively low and doesn’t significantly raise lifetime cancer risks for most young children, according to research in the American Heart Association journal Circulation.

Researchers followed 337 children under age 6 who had surgery for heart disease at Duke University Medical Center in Durham, NC. Their operations required almost 14,000 imaging procedures, including X-rays, computed tomography (CT) scans, and cardiac catheterization procedures using video X-rays called fluoroscopies. [Read more]