Does medical imaging cause cancer? The short answer is probably; the longer answer is a bit more complicated. X-rays and other diagnostic imaging can increase your risk of cancer because they emit radiation, but the dose is relatively low and the evidence is a bit unclear.
Radiation, such as the kind in UV rays from the sun or the kind that is used during medical imaging, is a known cancer-causing agent, or carcinogen. The longer the exposure to and the greater the intensity of radiation, the higher your risk of developing cancer. Most studies have linked an increased risk of cancer with high dose radiation sources, such as with individuals near atomic bombs, the Chernobyl accident, or those working in nuclear power plants. However, relatively little studies have linked cancer risk with medical imaging, which typically produces only low dose radiation.
Read More- Keep a history of your radiation exposure from medical imaging, including X-rays, CT scans, and PET scans.
- If you are required to receive regular diagnostic imaging for a chronic condition, discuss with your doctor if its possible to use imaging with lower doses of radiation or to decrease the frequency of your imaging.
- Discuss with your doctor for alternatives if your child requires radiation-producing imaging.
Aside from medical imaging, individuals can also be exposed to radiation through treatment. Radiation therapy is a form of treatment for solid cancer tumors in which oncologists blast the tumor site with high doses of radiation. The therapy is part of an unfortunate paradox in cancer care: some therapies used to treat cancer can also cause cancer. Through radiation therapy, the DNA in cancer cells of the tumor is damaged to the point that cells die and the tumor shrinks, but the treatment may also cause changes in the DNA of surrounding healthy cells, causing them to become cancerous. Fortunately, a recent study estimates that the use of radiation therapy has declined for early stage cancers over the past decade, in part because of better surgical methods and other forms of treatment, such as targeted therapies and immunotherapies.
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