Question 1

29 year old female 2 head ct scans without contrast within 2 months of one another.  what is my cancer risk?  i have read "small" or "negligible"

Accepted Answer

Negligible: Two CT scans will not raise your risk to a measurable level, above your background risk.
For good health - Have a diet rich in fresh vegetables, fruits, whole grains, milk and milk products, nuts, beans, legumes, lentils and small amounts of lean meats. Avoid saturated fats. Drink enough water daily, so that your urine is mostly colorless. Exercise at least 150 minutes/week and increase the intensity of exercise gradually. Do not use tobacco, alcohol, weed or street drugs in any form. 
Practice safe sex, if you have sex.

Question 2

i am 40 yr old female been referred for 1st ever ct scan of abdomin and pelvis. i am v nervous as i have been told by an other dr think about it v carefully it carries a cancer risk because of the radiation is this true?

Accepted Answer

: It is common knowledge that x-ray studies such as regular x-ray films or CT scans do put out a bit of radiation, and that radiation does not noticeably increase "one particular person's risk of cancer", when added to the radiation risks for cancer she already experiences just by living on planet Earth. The chance of cancer before and after one CT scan are the same. Doctors can't tell a difference.

Question 3

i had 2 head ct scans in 3 months and 4 x rays. one for suspected stroke (negative) and one for concussion. i am 28 year old female?
scan cancer risk?

Accepted Answer

Exposure : You should discuss radiation exposure with any doctor ordering CT, X-ray, nuclear medicine or other radiation exposure tests. There is a cumulative effect and these tests should be done only when the need for the information justifies the exposure.

Question 4

i had a head ct as an adolescent, and i just recently had a neck ct. i am a 30-year-old female. i am now worried about cancer risk, esp thyroid cancer due to the recent neck ct. should i be worried?

Accepted Answer

: I would consider the risk of cancer posed by these 2 procedures minimal at your age. Bring the issue up at your regular health exams &amp; the doc who knows you best can decide if any further studies of any sort would be worthwhile. Otherwise enjoy life.

Question 5

would 6 ct scans early in your 40s increase your cancer risk later in life? if so by how much and how many years later?

Accepted Answer

Yes: It depends on the type of ct scan.    For standard abd/pelvis Ct scan, 6 scans  would result in a total effective dose of 84 mSv, resulting in a theoretical increased lifetime cancer risk of  0.559% or 1/179 over baseline.  You can calculate this, and more, at xrayrisk.com .  Latency for radiation induced cancer is probably at least 15-20 years.

Question 6

when i was you younger (22-25 am 32 now) i had a large number of ct scans, vq scans, etc. , probably 20 or 30 ... how high is my cancer risk now? :(

Accepted Answer

Little higher: Slightly higher than the normal population. Follow up with your doctor routinely to prevent things before they happen.

Question 7

i've had 3 ct scans (two recently) and it looks like they might want to have another "just in case". i'm concerned about cancer risk increase. what does the current research show? does it increase cancer risk?

Accepted Answer

: Depending on the type of CT and the part of the body being scanned the amount of radiation you get will vary. Best to discuss with the local folks.  Maybe about the same amount of radiation you get when flying from Philly to LA or sunbathe for several days.

Question 8

what is the risk of cancer from a ct scan?

Accepted Answer

Extremely low.: The amount of radiation a patient is exposed to with a single computerized tomography (ct) scan is way below the amount required to inflict the necessary dna damage to cause cancer. In fact, studies have proven that a pregnant woman may safely receive a single ct with no negative effects to the fetus (although efforts should still be made to minimize unnecessary exposure).

Question 9

could first ct scan increases my risk of cancer?

Accepted Answer

Unlikely: I doubt that only one CT scan would increase your cancer risk at all. If that was the case, can you imagine how many new cancer cases we would see every year?

Question 10

is getting 2 ct scans back to back increase cancer risk more than 2 ct scan spread apart. ?

Accepted Answer

No.: The radiation effect is cumulative.  2 CT scans, however, are not enough to cause cancer since the radiation dose is very small.  If contrast is being given for the CT, then you could have more damage to kidneys with back-to-back scans, so that must be kept in mind.

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Doctor answers about:

Female CT risk of cancer

A member asked:

29 year old female 2 head ct scans without contrast within 2 months of one another. what is my cancer risk? i have read "small" or "negligible"

A member asked:

I am 40 yr old female been referred for 1st ever ct scan of abdomin and pelvis. i am v nervous as i have been told by an other dr think about it v carefully it carries a cancer risk because of the radiation is this true?

A member asked:

I had 2 head ct scans in 3 months and 4 x rays. one for suspected stroke (negative) and one for concussion. i am 28 year old female? scan cancer risk?

A member asked:

I had a head ct as an adolescent, and i just recently had a neck ct. i am a 30-year-old female. i am now worried about cancer risk, esp thyroid cancer due to the recent neck ct. should i be worried?

A member asked:

Would 6 ct scans early in your 40s increase your cancer risk later in life? if so by how much and how many years later?

A member asked:

When i was you younger (22-25 am 32 now) i had a large number of ct scans, vq scans, etc. , probably 20 or 30 ... how high is my cancer risk now? :(

A member asked:

I've had 3 ct scans (two recently) and it looks like they might want to have another "just in case". i'm concerned about cancer risk increase. what does the current research show? does it increase cancer risk?

A member asked:

What is the risk of cancer from a ct scan?

A member asked:

Could first ct scan increases my risk of cancer?

A member asked:

Is getting 2 ct scans back to back increase cancer risk more than 2 ct scan spread apart. ?

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