Editorial Commentary: Invisible, Odorless, and Deadly: Do Computed Tomography Scans in Young Patients With Hip Pain Cause Cancer?

Hohmann, Erik · Arthroscopy · 2018

editorial · Level V

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Abstract

Does imaging of the pelvis using a set of radiographs and computed tomography (CT) cause cancer? A computer-based simulation study using 5 different imaging and radiation dose protocols has calculated the lifetime risk of malignancy for young adults for pelvic radiographs and CT scans. The cumulative lifetime-attributable risk of cancer was 0.2% for males and 0.35% for females. This appears low but the numbers needed to harm were 952 for males and 564 for females. However, the authors have based their calculations on the linear no-threshold model, which is controversial, and a linear relationship between dose and risk may not exist.

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