How to minimize radiation risk from CT scans
Radiation doses from common CT procedures vary widely and are higher than generally thought, raising concerns about increased risk for cancer, say imaging specialists at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). In a release to the media, Rebecca Smith-Bindman, MD, a professor of radiology at UCSF indicated that the significant variation in the same type of CT procedures “highlights the need for greater standardization because this is a medical safety issue.”
Computed tomography imaging, known as CT, is a diagnostic procedure that uses special x-ray equipment to obtain cross-sectional pictures of the body that provide detailed images of organs, bones, and other tissues. CT is associated with higher radiation exposure than conventional x-rays, yet radiation dosages that patients receive from the newer CT scanners have gone largely unregulated, explains Smith-Bindman in the release.
In a recent Ask the Doctor article at GetYourRearinGear.com, Dr. Jack Brandabur discussed the issue of the radiation risk as it relates to the use of CT colonography or virtual colonoscopy. “There is some concern,” he said, “about long-term radiation risk. The dose of radiation during a CT colonography is 2-3 times the normal radiation of a standard abdominal CT scan, so there are concerns about moving forward with younger patients.” For this reason, and several others, Brandabur typically recommends colonoscopy over CT colonography for screening purposes. Despite those concerns,however, Brandabur is clear about the fact that CT imaging technology plays an important role in medicine.
“CT scanning has revolutionized medicine and provides tremendous benefit to many patients, but we need to be sure that if there are avoidable risks that we avoid them. “
For patients whose care providers have recommended a CT scan, Dr. Brandabur has the following suggestions to minimize risk:
- Be sure that sure that the CT is absolutely necessary. A patient might ask “Are there other ways of answering the same question using alternative technology? Would an MRI or ultrasound suffice?” These are procedures which involve no radiation.
- Be clear about the number of scans to be done so that extra scans are not performed.
- Be sure that the care provider communicates to the radiologist what question they want answered with the use of the CT scan. The care provider should be able to articulate what information they want to get from the imaging study. In some cases there may be a safer and less costly way to get the information.
