What is the danger of having too many ct scans? i'm concerned about the radiation. i've had 3 ct scans within one year. i have heard that people have died of bone cancer caused by too many xrays. is this the same?

The : The main risk of a ct scan is increased risk of developing cancer, but the risk is relatively small. A ct of the abdomen and pelvis increases the cancer mortality risk by approximately 0.05%. In other words, the ct of the abdomen and pelvis increases the chance of you developing cancer in your lifetime from 44% to 44.05%. The increased risk is very small, but it is something people should keep in mind. The benefit of a medically necessary ct scan greatly outweighs the small risk described above; however, some ct scans are performed unnecessarily and provide little benefit to the patient.

Imaging Safety: Ct scans use radiation and radiation can cause cancer. Your individual risk of a radiation-caused cancer is likely very low, but we should always try to minimize radiation exposure and only get scans when there is an important health question that can only be answered through a scan. Please speak with the doctor who ordered your scans about your concerns.

Too small to measure: Pilots get an extra 3 mSV yearly and radiation workers up to an extra 20 mSV yearly. This is cumulative. A common CT scan delivers may be 3, a very sick person who needs chest and abdomen with and without contrasts gets 40. No one has been able to measure any increased cancer risk in pilots or radiation workers. I'd stop worrying. If you need the scan, don't hesitate.