American studies show that CT scans increase the risk of cancer.

The cancer risk from CT scans is equivalent to that of alcohol and obesity.

On April 16, an article was published in "Latest Science News".

The new research concluded that CT examinations may soon account for 5% of all newly diagnosed cancer cases each year.

This sounds terrifying.

The model prediction by the team from the University of California, San Francisco estimates that approximately 103,000 cases of cancer each year are caused by these scans, which accounts for about 5% of the 2 million new cancer diagnoses in the United States annually.

The most common cancers are lung cancer, colon cancer, leukemia, and bladder cancer.

An important factor is the target area of the scan - scans targeting the abdomen and pelvis are expected to lead to more cancers.

The editors of the study wrote: "These estimates equate CT scans with other well-known cancer risk factors, including alcohol and obesity."

X-rays are a form of ionizing radiation, and as Madame Curie proved, their harm to the human body is well known.

Dr. Doreen Law noted that these results based on the American population may not apply to a wider population, as different countries use different standards when scheduling scans: "The rate of CT scans in the United States is much higher than in the UK."

Stephen Duffy, honorary professor at Queen Mary University of London, said: "Doctors will not request CT scans unless necessary. However, in my view, the benefits of disease diagnosis through CT scans outweigh the slight increased risk of cancer."

At the same time, they proposed some methods to mitigate the risks. For example, in some cases, non-radiation scans such as ultrasound and MRI may be appropriate choices. The required radiation dose has already been reduced, with medical radiation doses in the United States having decreased by 20%.

The president of the Australian Radiation Oncology Society summarized: "While the study results emphasize the need to be vigilant about radiation, CT imaging should not be prevented when it is clinically proven to be reasonable."

Original source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/1829516294738947/

Disclaimer: This article represents the personal views of the author.