Expert: Claes-Gustaf Nordquist, M.D. - 7/28/2011

Question
hi
i just want to ask
about
brain ct with and without contrast
i read some studies on the net
that ct can cause cancer 10 to 20 after the exposure
im now in my 20s does that mean
in 35 or 40 i will get brain cancer
1-is there anyone got brain cancer after a
brain ct with and without contrast?
i was told in the hospital
you will get cancer only if we did it too many times
is that right
my ct was normal so i feel like i got
unnecessary brain ct
and put myself at risk for brain cancer

Answer
First of all, ANYONE and EVERYONE can get what you call "brain cancer" even if no CT scan ever was done! The risk increase after just one CT scan - even if done both with and without contrast (which is routine to do) - is so microscopically small that it can not even be measured! To get any measurable risk increase you need to have had quite a number of such scans. So what you were told in the hospital is basically correct. Finally, it was good that your CT was OK but that can NOT be known without doing one. So without it you and your doctor would still not know if anything was wrong there or not. So it was certainly NOT unnecessary! OK?


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