CT Scan Could Double the Risk of Cancers in NHL Patients

Patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma who have received 8 or more CT scans have a 2-fold risk for secondary primary malignancies, new research shows.

The malignancies are typically located in regions where the radiation fields of thoracic and abdominal CT scans overlap, effectively doubling the radiation dose, according to the researchers.

"The incidence of secondary-cancer origin from breast, stomach, and liver is higher in patients with more CT scans," according to Sheng Hsuan Chien, MD, and colleagues from the Taipei Veterans General Hospital in Taiwan. "These sites are usually located at the interface or overlapping area and receive a double dose of radiation from 2-CT scans procedures."

The nationwide population-based study evaluated 4874 patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma who received curative-intent treatment from January 1997 to December 2010.

Overall, patients had a median of 8 CT scans performed within 1 year of their lymphoma diagnosis.

The risk of developing a secondary primary malignancy was 2 times greater in those who received more than 8 CT scans than in those who received 8 or fewer scans (hazard ratio, 2.23; 95% confidence interval, 1.60 - 3.11; P < .001).

Original report: http://bit.ly/1oiAvWr

Source: Medscape