CT Scans Safe

Hi Jordan and Austin. My doctor recently recommended me for a CT scan with dye contrast. When reading more about this procedure online, I seem to find a lot of contradicting information, and I hope you may be able to clarify a few things for me if possible. This is kinda a pricey procedure for me so I want to make sure it’s necessary.

  1. Is it true that about 1/3 of CT scans are medically unnecessary?
  2. Is it true that a CT is 200 Xrays worth of radiation?
  3. Do people get cancer from CT?
    Thanks for your time!
  1. I do not know the specific fraction; however, this is not particularly relevant here. What matters is whether it is medically necessary in the context of YOUR case (which we do not know, lacking additional detail).

  2. The dose of radiation depends on the specific type of CT scan, and the body area involved. A CT of the head involves a different dosage of radiation compared with the chest, the abdomen/pelvis, or an extremity. Regardless, this risk should be weighed against the potential benefit of making a diagnosis via the scan that would impact treatment or other decision making.

  3. Getting one CT scan will not directly cause a cancerous tumor to grow. It involves a graded spectrum of risk over time based on a number of factors (meaning, cancer risk increases with the cumulative dose of radiation an individual experiences over a lifetime).

In general, the goal is to avoid unnecessary radiation when feasible, but if the scan is necessary to make a medically important diagnosis, then we recommend the scan. As mentioned above, we do not know any context for your case in order to provide input on this decision making.

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