A medical test used to detect cancer may actually be contributing to the disease, research suggests.
California researchers estimate more than 100,000 new cancers will have been caused by computerized tomography (CT) scans from exams done in 2023 alone.
They warn the scans, which use X-rays to create detailed images of the body, emit unsafe levels of radiation which fuel the formation of tumors.
In 2009, researchers estimated high doses of radiation from CT scans were responsible for two percent of all cancers (or roughly 30,000 per year).
However, the new research published this week estimated ‘CT-associated cancer could eventually account for five percent of all new cancer diagnoses annually.’
There are about 93million CT scans performed annually – a number on the rise – but there is little to no regulation of the scanners and radiation levels emitted can vary widely machine to machine.
The study estimated that over the lifetime of those millions of people, about 103,000 radiation-induced cancers are projected to result from CT exams done in 2023.
CT scans can be life-saving tests, catching disease or bleeding early enough to be treated. They also used to diagnose and monitor diseases like cancer and bone injuries, as well as to assist in surgeries and evaluate efficacy of certain treatments.