Worrying about cancer from CT scans and X rays?

[Fishmanpa]

All I can say is... Show me an actual documented case of cancer where the cause was definitively due to x-rays, CT scans and the like... (hint: there are none).

Besides, being that my H&N cancer was treated with 100X more rads than an x-ray or two, I should have cancer throughout my body!

Positive thoughts

[Stecakes]

the model that suggested this risk ( linear no threshold ) or LNT model
is over 70 years old and has been rejected by main stream science and world leading medical professors

[Ryank65]

I'm 22 year old male. Ages between 16-20 I ate very very unhealthy and was l over 300 lbs. For 2 1/2 years I was drinking every weekend and smoked weed around 2 times a day for 2 1/2 years. Also I have smoked a total of 5 packs of cigarettes in life. I would have a cigarette maybe once every 2 weeks at bars. I haven't smoked either in over 6 months. Last I've had 2 abdominal x rays and 1 abdominal CT scan. I'm worried I have screwed myself and am worried I will get leukemia or some other bad cancer from the smoking and radiation from X-rays and cat scans. I have no cancer history in my family. Am I at a high risk for luekimia or other cancers in the next 5-10 years? I'm having bad anxiety over this and also seeing a therapist but she has no clue about health.

[Gary A]

Smoking increases your risk of cancer, everybody knows that. The radiation from X-Rays, just no.

If you've given up smoking at the age of 22 then you have given yourself a wonderful opportunity for your body to heal from any damage the smoking has caused.

Nobody can tell you that you won't get cancer in the next 5-10 years, but it's unlikely in the extreme that smoking will be responsible for it before you're in your mid thirties.

[Cusper]

Ah you are fine!! 22 years old? no way. I used to smoke and I gave up 3 years ago (i am 41) and I am in good health. I am in no way suggesting that you continue smoking because it is a foolish decision on all accounts but your body will heal itself and at your age it will heal itself faster too! look at Keith Richards!! I can't even believe that guy is still alive. Plus my grandmother smoked sometimes 2 cigarettes at once (leaving one in the kitchen and forgot about it while smoking in the livingroom) She used to smoke copious amounts and inside too! she gave up at 60 and she is now 94 and wishing she could cross over at this point. Go and live your life!! you are 22!! That is such a great age to be. Think of all the great things you get to do at this age! This should be the best time. You are old enough to travel the world and date lots of people but young enough not to be bogged down with mortgage payments and kids! Go have fun you'll be fine.

[Sphincterclench]

your 22...the only thing you should be worried about is what awesome thing your going to do next. I cant say 100% you wont, but I can say 99.99999999% youve made all the right changes, now go live life.

Rest easy.

[Ar1masenka]

Thank you for the article.

I'm new. Just a bit about me. I was in a very abusive relationship, where I developed bad health anxiety. Since 22, years old. I've had 8 head CT , 2-3 chest ct, 3 abdominal CT. I'm 31 now (29 was my last). Plus many X-rays as I had respiratory infections my hole life. Anyhow, I too am probably glowing.

I'm glad to hear that news though. I'll read through the article now.

Have a good one!
-Adam

[Leah88]

yes it is true , I would never make such a claim if it were not.
I first read it in medicalnewstoday.
the paper is by by professor James welsh , and published in the American journal of clinical oncology. it's an easy enough find.

I used to worry about this too after I had a thoracic scan and the student stuffed up and didn't take a clear enough pic so had to take a second one ( gah). Anyway I had a chat to my cousin who is a radiographer and she said she sees people who have weekly cat scans and they are ok. If you go onto radiology sites they can give you an approximate equivalent to background radiation for each type of scan. Also don't read medical news daily. I used to too but decided it tends to pick and choose it's data and contradicts itself every fortnight. You are better off reading from the national health data base research papers. I drank green tea for ages to try and protect myself from background radiation to try and make up for my X-rays. It's a bit retarded but it made me feel better lol Also if you are referring to the same article i am thinking of they only found a very minimal ( almost not statistically relevant) increase in childhood leukaemia from X-rays as babies but that was only because children's cells are still forming not like an adult who already has developed.

[Ryank65]

Im a 22 year old male. First I had an abdominal X-ray when I was 20 for a possible hernia. Then a year later I had an abdominal ct scan when i was 21, for a possible ruptured spleen. Now just 2 months ago I had another abdominal X-Ray a year and 3 months after my Ct scan at the age of 22. These are the only x rays and ct scans I've had in past 10 years. Should I be worried and concerned that these tests will give me cancer like leukemia or lymphoma in the future? I'm worried I have screwed myself by getting all this unnecessary radiation. I e read a lot online about how they have done studies and that I have like a 1 out of 1000 chance of getting a bad cancer. Does anybody know how accurate these studies are and if scans do cause cancer?

[ocdbaking]

I very much doubt these would cause you cancer.