A new UK study by the Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) in London has made a startling discovery: computed tomography (CT) scans, a ubiquitous medical imaging device available in hospitals and clinics in the US and around the world, could cause more than 100,000 new cases of cancer annually, including almost 10,000 among children.
Just when we think that CT scans are beneficial in detecting cancer, they are put on equal footing with alcohol drinking when it comes to cancer risk. Although the personal risk per scan is low, the large number of scans taken every year in the United States makes this a public health issue.
