Computed tomography (CT) scans may account for 5% of all cancers annually, according to a new study out of UC San Francisco that cautions against overusing and overdosing CTs.
The danger is greatest for infants, followed by children and adolescents. But adults also are at risk, since they are the most likely to get scans. Nearly 103,000 cancers are predicted to result from the 93 million CT, also known as CAT, scans that were performed in 2023 alone. This is 3 to 4 times more than previous assessments, the authors said.
Reducing the number of scans and reducing doses per scan would save lives."
The study, which was funded by the National Institutes of Health, appears April 14 in JAMA Internal Medicine .
"CT can save lives, but its potential harms are often overlooked," said first author Rebecca Smith-Bindman , MD, a UCSF radiologist and professor of epidemiology and biostatistics and obstetrics, gynecology and reproductive sciences .
"Given the large volume of CT use in the United States, many cancers could occur in the future if current practices don't change," said Smith-Bindman, who is also a member of the Philip R. Lee Institute for Health Policy Studies and directs the Radiology Outcomes Research Lab.
"Our estimates put CT on par with other significant risk factors, such as alcohol consumption and excess body weight," she said. "Reducing the number of scans and reducing doses per scan would save lives."
