LONDON (AP) – The risk of cancer from common X-rays and increasingly popular CT scans ranges from less than 1 percent to about 3 percent, according to a new study.
The small risk posed by X-ray radiation is well-known, but the study by researchers from Oxford University and Cancer Research U.K. makes the most careful effort to date to estimate it precisely, the scientists said.
CT scans, also known as CAT scans, are computer-enhanced X-rays that can provide a better view of all parts of the body. But they emit significantly more radiation than a standard X-ray.
In the United States, doctors have urged caution about unnecessarily using the scans on children. Children are more sensitive to radiation and exposure is cumulative.
The new research indicates the cancer risk – ranging from 0.6 percent to 3.2 percent – varies depending on the frequency of X-rays and scans in 15 countries surveyed. Experts not involved in the study wrote in the journal The Lancet, which published the findings, that the benefits of X-rays and CT scans far outweigh the risk.