Radiation risk of CT scans

Radiation risk of CT scans - how to communicate with your patients?

1. Anual natural background radiation = 3 mSv.
2. Anual natural background radiation = 150 chest X-ray.
3. Lumbar X-rays = 6 months of natural background radiation.
4. Head CT = 8 months of natural background radiation.
5. IVP = 1 year of natural background radiation.
6. Chest or abdoment CT = 2~3 years of natural background radiation.
7. Life-time radiation risk of CT scan for cancer = 1 in 2000, 0.05%.
8. Life-time risk for cancer in general = 1 in 5, 20%.
   

Reference:

• https://www.cancer.gov/
  
• Brenner DJ, & Hall EJ (2007). Computed tomography–an increasing source of radiation exposure. The New England journal of medicine, 357 (22), 2277-84.