Cancer-Causing Test Ordered 62-Million Times a Year
There’s no doubt that modern medicine saves countless lives.
But many of the top tests, treatments, and drugs also come with significant risks.
Case in point…
A common diagnostic test that’s used by 62 million people every year in the United States can dramatically increase your cancer risk.
CT (computed tomography) scans can be a handy tool for looking inside the body. They can help identify everything from fractures to blood clots to heart disease.
We’ve known for years that the radiation used in CTs could increase your cancer risk. After all, these scans use ionizing radiation that can damage DNA, leading to mutations that can cause cancer.
In the past, researchers believed the scan’s benefits outweighed the risk.
But now the results of a recent study have them changing their tune…
The researchers estimated that over 100,000 cancers will occur as a result of CT scans done in 2023 alone.
Ultimately, they project that CT scans will be responsible for five percent of cancers diagnosed per year.
This puts them on par with alcohol and obesity.
And the more scans you get, the higher your cancer risk—with scans of the abdomen and pelvis being the riskiest of all.
Overall, the cancers most associated with CT scans include:
- Lung cancer
- Colon cancer
- Bladder cancer
- Leukemia
- Breast cancer
This is an alarming finding, considering these scans have exploded recently. They jumped from 3 million per year in 1980 to 20 million in 1995 to over 60 million in 2005.
And according to previous studies, as many as one-third of scans are entirely unnecessary.
CT scans have their place. But they also have their risks.
I hope you (and your doctor) will consider BOTH before ordering one of these tests.
P.S. From forest floor to cancer cure? New research shows promise.
View Sources
Smith-Bindman R, Chu PW, Azman Firdaus H, et al. Projected Lifetime Cancer Risks From Current Computed Tomography Imaging. JAMA Intern Med. Published online April 14, 2025. doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2025.0505
