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.
- Is it true that about 1/3 of CT scans are medically unnecessary?
- Is it true that a CT is 200 Xrays worth of radiation?
- Do people get cancer from CT?
Thanks for your time!
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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).
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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.
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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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