X-Rays May Increase Risk of Cancer

We have known for years that exposure to x-rays increases the risk of cancer. Because America does more x-ray imaging than any other country on the planet, researchers have looked closely at the impact of medical x-ray studies on cancer incidence.

The best current estimates are that between two and 3% of all of the cancers in America are caused by medical imaging studies. According to the American Cancer Society, there were about 1.4 million new cancers diagnosed in the US last year. That means that last year alone, roughly 40,000 Americans got cancer due to their x-ray studies.

Whenever possible, ultrasound or MRI should be used instead of x-ray studies. But MRIs are more expensive, so they are used less often. But when I recently needed joint imaging, I opted for ultrasound rather than x-ray. You might consider doing the same.