A new study published in JAMA Internal Medicine warns that the overuse of CT scans in the US could cause 5% of all cancers in the country, equivalent to the number of cancers caused by alcohol. The researchers found that 93 million CT scans carried out in 2023 could lead to an estimated 9,700 cancer cases in children and millions more in adults.
The team, led by Professor Amy Berrington, used a publicly available risk model to estimate the numbers and types of cancers linked to radiation exposure from CT scans. They found that the increased radiation doses used in recent years have risen by 30% since 2009.
While benefits from CT scans often outweigh the risks for individual patients, the researchers argue that the cumulative effect of millions of scans carried out across the population could lead to a significant increase in cancer cases. The study’s findings highlight the need for doctors to ensure that scans are only carried out when necessary and with optimal doses.
In contrast to the UK, which has implemented regulations to review CT scan requests and minimize radiation exposure, many countries in Europe and Australia perform high numbers of scans. The researchers urge doctors to adopt similar measures to reduce the risks associated with CT scans.
Source: https://www.icr.ac.uk/about-us/icr-news/detail/overuse-of-ct-scans-could-cause-100-000-extra-cancers-in-us