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I Am A 29 Year Old Male , 5'4 145

Posted on Sun, 31 Mar 2019

Question: I am a 29 year old male , 5'4 145 pounds. I have had 1 chest X-ray, 1 spine X-ray , both hips x-rayed , and a single head CT scan in one years time. I figured a radiologist would know, should i be concerned about developing a malignancy down the road due to these tests?

Answered by Dr. Vivek Chail (27 hours later)

Brief Answer:
The additional risk of having cancer is 0.0378 percent and not significant

Detailed Answer:
Hi,
Thanks for writing in to us.

The total radiation from 1 chest xray, 1 spine x ray, both hips xray and 1 head CT scan is approximately 4.2 mSv and this is a very small dose to cause cancer.

Theroretically the additional risk of having a cancer due to the tests is 0.0378 percent and is not significant.

There is a 99.9621 percent chance that you are safe from any risk of cancer due to the tests.

Regards,

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Nagamani Ng

Follow up: Dr. Vivek Chail (3 hours later)

One last question, since only my head was ct scanned was it only my head exposed to the radiation? Were no other body parts affected?

Answered by Dr. Vivek Chail (8 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
The rest of the body was exposed to secondary xray radiation

Detailed Answer:
Hi,
Thanks for writing in to us.

In a head CT scan, the primary radiation travels through the head and secondary radiation can pass through the rest of the organs.

Primary radiation is the beam of xray that contains maximum high energy xrays to generate the image.

Scattered radiation is the radiation which bumps of the surroundings and then enter the body and is weak in energy.

The head got the primary beam and the risk is calculated keeping in mind the dose from primary radiation.

Regards,

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Nagamani Ng

Follow up: Dr. Vivek Chail (29 minutes later)

So secondary radiation poses no risk ?

Follow up: Dr. Vivek Chail (1 hour later)

Here's the question I meant to ask , is the scattered radaiation ( secondary radiation ) harmful to the other parts of the body that it travels to ? Please let me know

Follow up: Dr. Vivek Chail (2 hours later)

I was just told the radiation mgy dose was 907 , from head ct scan , I know that's different from msv but should I worry ? Please answer asap as I am panicking

Answered by Dr. Vivek Chail (51 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
No need to panic

Detailed Answer:
Hi,
Thanks for writing back to us.

There is no need to panic. You are completely safe.
Most standard machines generate 2 mSv for a head CT scan.

There is some communication barrier and I request you to please ask them to tell you the expected dose absorbed in mSv.

Please do not get afraid the radiation dose from CT head scan. It is really negligible.

Hope I am able to give you the needed answers.

PS: I myself have got a head CT scan done few years back and am doing great.

Regards,

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar