Does CT Scan Radiation Increase The Risk Of Cancer?

Posted on Mon, 4 Dec 2017

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Mon, 4 Dec 2017 Answered on

Fri, 11 May 2018 Last reviewed on

Question : I just had a ct scan around my stomach for kidney stones. This is the second scan in the same area. The first one was 386 msv dosage and the second one was 326 msv dosage. Should I be worried about cancer from radiation? I heard the body heals itself from small radiation like this. Is that true?

How much is too much?

Answered by Dr. Saddiq Ulabidin (2 hours later)

Brief Answer:
The doses Must have been quite lesser than what you mentioned

Detailed Answer:
Hi! Welcome to Healthcaremagic. Thanks for sharing your concerns with us. We will try to help you in best way possible.

Based on the history you have shared, the amount of radiation you have mentioned must not be in the same that you have mentioned as average mSv for a CT abdomen or KUB is between 5-10 mSv.

The usual dosages mentioned sometimes are quite confusing at times as many predictors just calculate the amount of radiation released while on a fraction of it is what our body is exposed to. Moreover, dividing it into each organs further decreases the exposure quanity.

Every tissue responds differently to radiation and only rapidly dividing tissues have more tendency for radiation induced damages. Simmilarly time of exposure is either calculated in hours or per annum exposures while getting exposed for few minutes further lessons the risks.

So theoretically it just bears almost 5-6 percent extra risk of developing cancers after CT abdomen than general population and that is quite a minimal risk compared to the damages which can be caused by imporoper diagnosis.

Hope this has answered your question. If you have any more questions please feel free to ask. Regards.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Vaishalee Punj

Follow up: Dr. Saddiq Ulabidin (40 minutes later)

are you sure they're that high of dosages that you said around 5-10? bc I specifically asked them and that's the numbers they gave me. maybe there was a decimal in there where it's 3.26 and 3.86. I made sure to ask them though. do you think that's an increased risk to be worried about?

Answered by Dr. Saddiq Ulabidin (21 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
Yes it will be much lower

Detailed Answer:
Hi!

Like we discussed, it can either be lower than these with the decimal or it will be full radiation emission and doesn't count the amount covered by body or each organs which off course is much much lower.

Regards.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Vaishalee Punj

Follow up: Dr. Saddiq Ulabidin (7 hours later)

im confused by what you mean by all that. Can you explain?

Answered by Dr. Saddiq Ulabidin (7 hours later)

Brief Answer:
It means that penetrated radiations are much lesser than that

Detailed Answer:
Hi! Thanks for asking. By that I mean, the penetrated radiations in the body or the ones body organs have been exposed to would be much lesser and carries virtually least chances of causing tumors.

Penetration is also determined by per unit area and the time of exposure and for smaller duration and for scattered radiations only small amount will be what a single organ will get. So that further decreases the chance of such side effects. Regards.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Kampana