A caution sign thrown up on the new, safer highway of heart disease detection, has surprised a few, and encouraged others to practice caution with the latest in diagnostic procedures. A study published in the July 18th issue of JAMA demonstrated a non-negligible risk of cancer associated with heart CT angiography.  Used as a less invasive option to traditional coronary angiography (which carries a complication rate of roughly 1.6 percent), heart CT scan angiography has made a rapid, safer diagnosis of coronary heart disease possible.  While many of these CT scans can be life-saving, an awareness of risk is necessary to weigh the risks and beneftis.

This study evaluated the expected lifetime risk of cancer based on the dose of radiation recieved from a 64-slice computed tomography coronary angiography. The greatest risk is to women, especially younger women who rarely undergo heart scaning.  According to the study, the risk of cancer induced by one heart CT is 1 in 143 for women aged 20, 1 in 184 for a 40 year old woman, but only 1 in 3,261 for an 80 year old man.

In most cases, the benefits of detecting heart disease far outweigh the risks of such a procedure, but this study serves as a reminder that any amount of radiation carries a finite risk of leading to cancer, and studies should be performed only when clearly needed and an alternative is unavailable.

Another study published last year demonstrated that girls who carry a certain genetic mutation for breast cancer, are four times as likely to develop breast cancer if they have chest x-rays before the age of 20.  Since most girls do not have genetic testing for breast cancer, these x-rays should only be done when clearly indicated and another options (such as a careful history and physical exam with excellent follow-up in a child that is mildly ill) will not suffice for good care.

For further information on medical procedures and cancer prevention, check out www.avoidcancernow.com