Variable Doses of Radiation Raise Safety Concerns for CT Procedures

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/12/091214163034.htm

ScienceDaily (Dec. 15, 2009) — Radiation doses from common CT procedures vary widely and are higher than generally thought, raising concerns about increased risk for cancer, according to a new study led by UCSF imaging specialists.

"In day-to-day clinical practice, we found significant variation in the radiation doses for the same type of computed tomography procedures within institutions and across institutions," said lead investigator Rebecca Smith-Bindman, MD, a professor of radiology at UCSF. "Our results highlight the need for greater standardization because this is a medical safety issue."

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They estimated, for example, that 1 in 270 women who underwent a CT coronary angiogram at age 40 years will develop cancer from the procedure, compared to 1 in 600 men. For a routine head CT scan at the same age, the estimated risk is 1 in 8,100 for women and 1 in 11,080 for men. In patients around age 20 years of age, the risks were approximately twice as high. "The risk associated with obtaining a CT is routinely quoted as around 1 in 1,000 patients who undergo CT will get cancer. In our study, the risk of getting cancer in certain groups of patients for certain kinds of scans was as high as 1 in 80," noted Smith-Bindman.

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