Ask the doctor: Medical x-rays and risk of cancer
I am currently receiving annual chest CT scans to check for hidden lung cancer (I used to be a heavy smoker). Should I be concerned about the cumulative effects of radiation exposure?Scans for lung cancer require a comparatively low dose of radiation compared with other types of CT scans—about half the dose from an abdominal CT scan, but equal to 10 to 15 chest x-rays. Having annual chest CTs for 10 years increases the lifetime risk of cancer by an estimated 0.1%, or one additional cancer in every 1,000 people exposed.
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