Risk of Cancer from CT Scans

A retrospective study conducted at Stanford University found that the risk of cancer due to radiation from CT scans might be lower than previously determined. The study reviewed Medicare claims of older adults from 1998-2005 to assess ionizing radiation exposure. The study stratified patients into two groups: those exposed to low doses and those exposed to high doses. Patients in the low-dose group had a .02% risk for developing radiationinduced cancer compared with .04% for patients in the high-dose group—significantly lower than previous estimates of 1.5% to 2%.