Diagnostic Heart Imaging Scan Carries Cancer Risk
A common diagnostic imaging test can increase a patient's risk of cancer, according to a new study in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Researchers say that computed tomography coronary angiography (CTCA) -- a common scan to detect signs of a heart attack -- produces lifetime cancer risks that vary from 1 in 143 among 20-year old women, to 1 in 3,261 among 80-year-old men. Controlling for age, the researchers determined that among 60-year-old women, the associated lifetime cancer risk was 1 in 715, while 60-year-old men faced a risk of only 1 in 1,911. The risk of contracting lung cancer was most significant, followed closely by breast cancer, particularly in young women. The study suggests that while overall, a patient's risk of cancer is still relatively low, the risk to women and younger patients isn't entirely negligible, and should be weighed against the potential benefits of the test.
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