Researchers have found links between computed tomography (CT) scanning and cell damage in the body, linking repeated scans to the potential for cancer.
While the researchers note the scans haven't been determined to cause cancer, the doses of radiation emitted by CT machines have a detectable effect on patients, according to a new study.
CT scans are used in the diagnosis and monitoring of many conditions, including cardiac conditions which can involve tens of scans over the course of treatment. A single scan exposes a person to at least 150 times the amount of radiation from a single chest X-ray.
"We now know that even exposure to small amounts of radiation from computed tomagraphy scanning is associated with cellular damage," said Dr. Patricia Nguyen, an assistant professor of cardiovascular medicine at Stanford University, in a press release. "Whether or not this causes cancer or any negative effect to the patient is still not clear, but these results should encourage physicians toward adhering to dose reduction strategies."
