NC
A 30-year-old female 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?
3 doctor answers • 4 doctors weighed in
Dr. James Fergusonanswered
Pediatrics 48 years experience
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 & the doc who knows you best can decide if any further studies of any sort would be worthwhile. Otherwise enjoy life.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
Reviewed Jul 13, 2021
Dr. Christine Homanswered
Pediatrics 32 years experience
It is best to minimize the exposure to ionizing radiation when possible. If you did not have the CT study, you would not have that piece of information to inform your care. This might leave your care team with a "best guess" decision when they might have visual confirmation via CT. Two CT scans would increase your risk, but the actual size/severity of that risk is tiny. Best wishes.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
Answered Jul 09, 2021
Dr. Gurmukh Singhanswered
Pathology 51 years experience
The radiation from the procedures will not raise your cancer risk to any measurable level. You may adopt healthy habits to reduce you risk of cancer. e.g., mostly vegetarian diet, no alcohol, no tobacco, no street drugs, limit exposure to sun, regular exercise and maintain normal weight. Get HPV vaccine.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
Answered Jul 12, 2021
Last updated Jul 14, 2021
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