After the study on heart ct scans and risk of cancer, many people are wondering what procedures are safe. 

Knowing that CT scans and chest X-rays in women with a genetic predisposition to cancer can raise the risk (see our July 20, 2007 blog entry), how should we proceed?  The majority of time these procedures are treatment-guiding and can be life-saving, but there are questions you can ask your physician before these are performed:



1.  Could another method of diagnosis (clinical exam, MRI, ultrasound) provide the same results?

2.  Is the X-ray facility up-to-date?

3.  Is a competent technician performing the x-ray?  Under-and-overexposure can result in unnecessary retakes.

4.  With children having CT scans, have the exposure parameters been adjusted based on the child's size and weight?

For more information on cancer prevention and medical procedures, see www.avoidcancernow.com