Computed tomography (CT) is one of the most notable medical technologies whose use continues to increase due to their advanced diagnostic capabilities. A study by Meulepas et al. (2018) found that radiation exposure from CT scans increased the risk of brain tumors. The study used a cohort of 168,394 Dutch children below the age of 18 and found that the cancer incidence to be 1.5 times higher compared to the general population. It was also evident that higher radiation dosages increased the relative risk of cancer (Meulepas et al., 2018). In agreement with this study, the FDA cautions the use of paediatric CT as they increase the cancer risk. The organization, however, maintains that the risk of cancer from CT imaging is small. The FDA also notes that the risk is influenced by the age of patients, their sex, body region being imaged, and the level of radiation dosage.
Drawing from the vast literature cautioning against the use of radiation imaging and the growing concern about CT safety, it is imperative to balance its benefits and risks. The use of CT as a primary diagnostic tool ought to be reconsidered, and clinicians need to use other diagnostic tools that might provide similar diagnostic data. Brenner and Hall (2007) note that there is an alarmingly high rate of using CT as primary diagnostic tools in the United States, while other practical options are available. The FDA emphasizes the use of accurate radiation dosages to reduce radiation exposure, as stipulated in FDA guidelines. Clinicians favor the use of CT because of the accurate and fast-paced diagnostic information they yield (McCollough, Bushberg, Fletcher, & Eckel, 2015). However, these benefits have been exploited to justify even unnecessary imaging, even when other testing options were appropriate.
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In sum, the relative risk of cancer from CT scans might be low compared to the critical diagnostic data they provide, but there is a need to exercise caution. Patients need to take control of their safety by asking what warrants requests for CT to avoid getting unnecessary imaging. Physicians, on the other hand, must ensure they request such tests when they have deemed other medical testing options insufficient in providing diagnostic data.
References
Brenner, D. J., Hall, E. J. (2007). Computed Tomography- An increasing source of radiation exposure. The New England Journal of Medicine, 357,2277-2284.
FDA. (n.d.). What are the radiation risks for CT? Retrieved from https://www.fda.gov/radiation-emitting-products/medical-x-ray-imaging/what-are-radiation-risks-ct
McCollough, C. H., Bushberg, J. T., Fletcher, J. G., & Eckel, L. J. (2015). Answers to common questions about the use and safety of CT scans. Mayo Clinic Proceedings, 90(10), 1380-1392.
Meulepas, J. M., Ronckers, C. M., Smets, A. M.J.B., Nievelstein, R. A. J., Gradowska, P., Lee, C., Jahnen, A., Straten, M., De Wit, M., Zonnenberg, B., Klein, W., Herks., J. H., Visser, O., Leewen, F. E., & Hauptmann, M. (2018). Radiation exposure from pediatric CT scans and subsequent cancer risk in the Netherlands. Journal of the National Cancer Institute, 111(3), 256-263.
