Each year, about 93 million CT scans are performed on 62 million patients across the US as a vital diagnostic tool of modern medicine. However,
CBS News reports there could be a troubling side effect: a potential long-term cancer risk linked to radiation exposure. In a
new study at
JAMA Internal Medicine, researchers estimate that CT scans performed in 2023 alone could ultimately lead to around 103,000 cases of radiation-induced cancer over the lifetimes of the patients exposed. The study's authors wrote, "If current practices persist, CT-related cancer could eventually account for 5% of all new cancer diagnoses annually."
And the projected cancer risks aren't distributed evenly. While children and adolescents are more vulnerable to radiation, adults undergo CT scans more frequently, so they account for the majority of the projected cases. The scans most commonly linked to future cancers were abdominal and pelvic CTs, followed by chest scans. The most frequent resulting cancers included lung, colon, leukemia, and bladder cancers, with breast cancer ranking second among female patients. And the study stresses that CT technology is essential, but that it must be used judiciously—with a growing need to weigh the benefits of fast, accurate imaging against potential long-term harm.
This isn't the first time radiation from CT scans has been scrutinized. A Consumer Reports investigation in 2015 found that up to a third of all CT scans could be medically unnecessary, while experts warn it could be difficult to limit CT imaging because its speed and relative affordability have made it ubiquitous. Still, the study's editors say the new projections should be taken seriously, likening CT-induced cancer risk to other established risk factors like alcohol consumption and obesity. As part of the solution, they recommend using radiation-free imaging alternatives when possible, lowering radiation doses in CT protocols, and educating clinicians to avoid unnecessary scans. (More CT scans stories.)
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