HELP!!!! Real Radiation Risks from multiple Ct scans and Procedures?

A year ago I had abdominal pain that woudlnt go away, so my gastro doc orderd a CT scan of my abdomen and pelvis. The test was normal, and later I was diagnosed with a minor hernia. 3 weeks ago, I was diagnosed with prostitis. After medication failed to work, the urologist insisted that I have a ct scan so he could rule out prostate/bladder cancer. The scan turned out to be normal. While I was dealing with this, I was ALSO having severe heart palpatations and minor chest pain. I went to a cardiologist who performed an ultrasound and ecg. Both were normal but my symptoms were still present. He then insisted that I have a nuclear stress test. The nuclear stress test showed areas of concern and he is now insisting that the smart thing to do is to have an heart cath wich will involve radiation equal to a ct scan.

So to summarize, in two years I've had already had two abdominal ct scans AND a nuclear stress test. If i do the heart cath, what's my cancer risk becuase of all these tests??

I failed to mention that I'm only 32 years old, and a non-smoker.

I was a register radilogical technologist for 10 years. I can tell you that modern medicine is taking every precaution to reduce your exposure to radiation possible. I can promise you that in one day I was exposed to much more radiation than you will be exposed to in your entire life. i have had no reactions to this exposure. I can also add that a heart attack will kill you much faster than minor radiation exposure will. Relax, take the tests that your doctor prescribes. If you feel strongly that you have had too much radiation, talk it over with your doctor. He/she will be able to give you specifics, and make an informed decision together.



I think you are making the right decision. I do not want to lead you to think that there are no risks to exposure to radiation, because there obviously is. I just do not think that you should let your health suffer to that degree. Many people have too many unneeded tests. There are risks to everything in life, the important thing to remember is to weigh the risks versus the benefits. The thing about radiation is that is accumalative. Meaning that your body cannot digest or gradually eliminate the radiation in the body. What radiation is absorbs is there for life. The good news, modern medicine has reduced the amount of radiation greatly from the time of Roentgen (he invented x-rays). We have reduced the amount of radiation needed to produce an image, we have reduced the size of the picture through knowledge of the anatomy so that we can we can image just that one organ, bone, etc. In essence, it is much safer now to have these tests than ever before, due to education, and safe practices by your radiographer. In essence, have the tests that you need with confidence, and discuss the benefits of any tests in question with your health care provider and make a decision together whether or not to proceed.

Good grief. My son has had dozens of CT, PET scans, and MRI's in order to pinpoint his cancer. We learned very quickly that diagnostic testing is the least of our worries about his survival. He was diagnosed two years ago at the age of 17 years old with wide spred metastatic abdominal sarcoma. I couldn't even bare to look at his first CT because there were multiple large tumors everywhere. The next CT he helped determine whether we would continue the fight or just take him home. We had feared the cancer was in the lungs, but with the help of the CT we discovered it was just a couple pulmonary embolisms in the lung.

Last summer he had a baseline PET scan used in conjuntion with the CT to verify that he was no evidence of disease (the PET lights up whereever cancer appears). In the fall the combination of CT and PET quickly picked up a tiny reoccurence of the cancer which enabled us to immediately begin treatment.

His most recent CT showed a suspicious spot on the liver (which always gives us a really miserable feeling) so he had an MRI to see exactly what is was . . the MRI gives the oncologist information about whether the cancer has invaded the organ, tissue, or is sitting on the organ. It was a tremendous relief for us to discover from the MRI that the spot was a benign, fluid filled cyst. No new cancer. And, as an added benefit, this most recent MRI revealed a hidden blood clot just beginning in the liver. So, now my son is on a blood thinner to control the clotting. The MRI saved his life . . again.

Without these diagnostic tools we would never have known so early that there was a reoccurence . . cancer can grow quickly and needs to be addressed quickly. With the diagnostic tools the surgeon now knows exactly which part of the liver to operate on . . and more importantly he knows that the procedure can be done, it might be tricky . . but it can be done.

I think you worry needlessly. These tools could save your life. I hope you can sort this out.

Peace to you.

I'm sorry, but I must be honest with you...


You MAY BE a hypochondriac.

My father DIED of cancer, and NEVER went to the doctor for anything. You have been to the doctor for test AFTER test. There is NOTHING wrong with you.

You seriously need to consider another plane of treatment for your symptoms, and I believe it may be the Psychological branch of Science that will help you the most...