From the Popular Press: What Your Patients are Reading

The use of computed tomography (CT) scans has increased drastically in recent years, causing concern over the rising amounts of radiation Americans are being exposed to. The link between radiation exposure and cancer is making some medical experts worry about significant increases in cancer risk in the coming years. A CT of the chest exposes patients to more than 150 times more radiation than a standard chest X-ray, and more than twice the radiation exposure from the environment over the course of a year. Conversely, others worry that patients will opt not to have potentially life-saving CT scans because of negative press on the risks of radiation. The benefits of a scan done correctly and for the right reasons generally outweigh any associated risks. A professor of radiation oncology suggests that doctors be more prudent in their use of CT scans, while patients take more responsibility for their health and question overuse of the imaging technology.

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