American Lung Association Addresses Recent Study About Radiation in CT Scans

Last month, JAMA Internal Medicine published an article, Projected Lifetime Cancer Risks From Current Computed Tomography Imaging, that uses risk modeling to suggest that radiation from Computed Tomography (CT) scans would contribute to a significant amount of new cancer diagnosis. In response, Harold Wimmer, President and CEO of the American Lung Association, issued the following statement: 

“The American Lung Association is concerned with the implications of the findings of this study and its potential impact on lung cancer screening and other necessary medical procedures that use CT scans.

“Annual low-dose CT scan screening for individuals at high risk for lung cancer saves lives. Lung cancer is the number one cancer killer in the U.S. and the best way to catch lung cancer early is through a low-dose CT scan for those at high risk for the disease. Lung cancer screening finds over half of lung cancer cases at an early stage when it is more curable, compared to only about 25% without screening. And, the future cancer risk from radiation exposure at the ages when lung cancer screening takes place is small.”

“The recent JAMA paper discusses the radiation risks of cumulative studies over the course of one’s life. The radiation risk proposed by article authors Smith-Bindman, et al, is consistent with prior risk modeling studies. The National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurement has reported that even with increased CT scan use, advances in technology and imaging have reduced population radiation burden. 

“Americans should not forgo necessary, lifesaving medical imaging and continue to discuss the benefits and risks of these exams with their healthcare providers.

“The American Lung Association agrees with recent statements by the American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM) and American college of Radiology (ACR) that patients with concerns about CT scans should ask their doctors if the results of an ordered CT will help determine their diagnosis or treatment plan. If the answer is yes, which is in those high-risk individuals for lung cancer, it is safest to proceed with the CT exam. The benefits of the information the exam will provide far outweigh any risk in obtaining it and could very well save your life.”