Exposure to radiation can cause some cancers, even when the radiation comes from medical devices such as CT scans. While CTs are a good diagnostic tool, being exposed to too much radiation can be dangerous, especially for those with already compromised systems. Fortunately, there are low dose CT scans that doctors can use for diagnostic purposes.
What Is Low Dose CT?
Low dose computed tomography, or CT, is a diagnostic tool that can be used to detect diseases such as lung cancer. It is an x-ray machine that uses low doses of radiation during a body scan to create detailed images. Radiologists can use low dose CT in Riverhead, NY to diagnose diseases such as cancer in patients.
Effective Doses
When a CT scan is necessary to diagnose cancer or other diseases, the protocol is to use the lowest effective dose of radiation to get the information needed from scans. Radiation is measured in millisieverts and dosages vary among patients because they all have different needs. The typical effective dose for a chest x-ray with a CT scan is 0.02 so a low dose CT may be used for this type of scan.
Risk of Exposure
The risk of developing cancer due to radiation from CT scans and similar devices depends on the person’s age at the time of exposure, his or her gender, and the area of the body that is scanned. While the risks are known for regular CT scans, the risk of exposure from low dose CT scans is unknown due to lack of evidence. However, if you’re concerned about the exposure to radiation, speak with a radiologist at North Fork Radiology before having a scan done.
There are people who have developed cancer due to exposure from radiation to CTs and other types of imaging machines. However, those risks could be greatly reduced with low dose CT technology. You can also follow them on Twitter.