Overuse of CT scans will increase risk of cancer due to excessive exposure to radiation. According to a research article in the “New England Journal of Medicine“, this cancer risk is very high in children due to sensitive tissues in them.
According to Columbia University scientists, 2% of cancers are due to this excessive exposure to radiation in the coming days. As per researchers, 30% of diagnostic tests recommended by doctors are unnecessary. But due to increase in legal suits by patients, physicians are not wanting to take undue risks and recommending as many tests as possible.
According to a study, 20 million adults and 1 million children are undergoing unnecessary CT scans annually. 62 million scans were done on US citizens in 2006 of which 4 million were on children. 30% of these scans are unnecessary which is alarming.
MRI and ultrasound are comparatively safer than CT scans as they have less radiation exposure. But CT scans are the best diagnostic method to detect cancer as they produce 3-dimensional images of the organs.
You can read more information on this research report in the November issue of New England Journal of Medicine.
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