Is there an increased risk of cancer from medical radiation, especially CT scans?
While no one can point to a single individual and say that their cancer was caused by medical radiation, there is evidence that exposures to radiation levels found during CT scans may slightly increase the risk of future cancer. The risk for developing cancer is debated and variable, and may be zero, but estimates also range from about one in 500 to one in 10,000 fatal cancers from a single CT scan. This needs to be interpreted against the risk of developing cancer over one’s lifetime. Since the risk of developing cancer in an individual is about one in five during a lifetime, the extra risk from CT is very small. Who should I talk to about my concerns? Any discussion should start with your child’s physician. They will know or can inquire if the imaging center to which they refer utilizes appropriate pediatric CT scanning techniques and if a non-radiation imaging test might be as useful for your child’s situation. If not, you should ask to speak with the technologist or radiologist at
