CT Scan fears

[CocoBean22]

I've been referred for an abdominal CT Scan with contrast due to ongoing abdominal pain but I'm really worried about the Radiation risks 😔

Can anyone put it into perspective please the risks from an abdominal CT Scan cancer risks vs any other cancer risk etc eating processed foods etc (something we do maybe and not think about the risk)

Looks like the risk is very low, less than 1% increased risk of cancer:

In a 2009 study from Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, researchers estimated the potential risk of cancer from CT scans in 31,462 patients over 22 years. For the group as a whole, the increase in risk was slight — 0.7% above the overall lifetime risk of cancer in the United States, which is 42%. But for patients who had multiple CT scans, the increase in risk was higher, ranging from 2.7% to 12%. (In this group, 33% had received more than five CT scans; 5%, more than 22 scans; and 1%, more than 38.)

https://www.health.harvard.edu/cancer/radiation-risk-from-medical-imaging

Doctors will only order a scan if the benefits outweigh the risks. The benefit of finding anything going on with your abdominal health is much higher than the tiny risk of an increased 0.7% risk of cancer when the overall risk of cancer (in the US) is 42%.

I have to have occasional CT scans, it's never occurred to me to be bothered to be honest. I'd rather know the outcome of the scan which is potentially a bigger health risk to me.

I was told that the radiation level is something like spending a year in Cornwall? @Foxgloverr is right though, the benefits outweigh the risks.

I've had several in recent years. If the docs think I need them I'm happy to have it done.

Really @JoyeuxNarwhal What's wrong with Cornwall

higher radon levels than much of the rest of the country (due to large amounts of granite IIRC) so background radiation is higher. It doesn't however seem to cause any significant increase in cancers compared to the rest of the country. It's a useful comparison though for people who'd are freaking out about ct scans because most people wouldn't think twice about moving to cornwall (or taking regular transatlantic flights, which is the other fun fact...although you'd have to take quite a lot of flights to equate to a ct scan, lots of people would think that was a great lifestyle choice!).

I am a Medical Physics Expert which means I'm professionally qualified in the risk of radiation exposure for patients.

The increased risk of cancer from a single scan is nowhere near 0.7%, it's much much lower than that.

It's probably equivalent to a couple of years of average UK background radiation, which sounds a lot, but a tiny fraction of your lifetime radiation exposure.

You have been medically assessed to need a scan so the benefit outweighs the risk. The radiographer/radiologist will be able to explain the risk to you in simple terms - they're required to have a procedure to follow under the regulations.

That tallies up with this page. As it says two years (so assuming Cornwall is worse!) :)

www.webmd.com/cancer/radiation-doses-ct-scans

Cornwall and other high radon areas could be much much worse.

I'm impressed by my '2 years' being the right amount - that was an educated guess - that's based on the average background across the whole of the UK.

The highest annual exposure I've heard about in Cornwall was about 300 times that amount. It was so notable that it was the topic of a conference presentation for our professional body.

I was just quoting the Harvard study that I linked above about the 0.7%

@RandomNameChange52 When you get contrast for an MRI scan does that involve radiation?

I've always wondered about the higher radon levels in Cornwall and whether that translates to higher rates of cancer there?

Nowt wrong with Cornwall at all! Consultant said she mentioned it because it's something people can actually relate to. There's higher levels of background radiation but it wouldn't put people of regularly holidaying there.

I don’t fly often so I felt happier after my CT knowing I can just fly even less and hopefully it’ll all equal out in the end. But I was worried too OP. I think it’s normal.