CT's Cause Death and Cancer

CT scans deliver far more radiation than has been believed, and may contribute to 29,000 new cancers each year, along with 14,500 deaths.

One study found that people may be exposed to up to four times as much radiation as estimated by earlier studies. While previous studies relied on dummies equipped with sensors, authors of the new paper studied more than 1,000 patients at four hospitals.

Based on their measurements, a patient could get as much radiation from one CT scan as 74 mammograms or 442 chest X-rays.

Young people are at highest risk from excess radiation, partly because they have many years ahead of them in which cancers could develop. Among 20-year-old women who get one coronary angiogram, a CT scan of the heart, one in 150 will develop cancer related to the procedure.

CT scans yield higher-resolution images than regular medical X-rays. Unfortunately, they also expose the patient to hundreds and sometimes thousands of times the amount of radiation.

The routine use of CT scans has vastly increased. In 1980, there were roughly 3 million CT scans performed.  By 2007, that number had increased to 70 million. CT scans are now being promoted to healthy people -- even whole body CT scans.

According to Life Extension Magazine:

"The problem is that the explosion in unnecessary CT scans has been going on every year. If we carry this back just ten years, this means that 150,000 Americans are facing horrific deaths from CT scan-induced cancers."

Sometimes the cancers do not show up for years, so it is very easy for the patient not to trace the cancer back to the radiation exposure.

Even though chiropractors generally promote a more natural approach, many of the chiropractors are promoting the use of routine x-rays.

I encourage individuals to refuse to have these procedures done as much as possible.  I realize that in some situations, it might be an emergency.  There are some things that you can do to protect yourself.  For one, be sure to have your EMF protective jewelry on during the procedure.  Secondly, take Superfood Greens before and after the procedures, along with 300 mg of CoQ10.

Remember, it is your body and it is your decision.

Comments from Dr. Mercola:

This year, one in every 10 Americans will have a CT scan (computed tomography).

The amount of money spent on medical imaging doubled between 2000 and 2006 to about $14 billion a year-and that is just Medicare alone, according to a study by the Government Accountability Office.

More than 70 million CT scans per year are now performed in the US, including at least 4 million on children. This is up from just 3 million in 1980.

Nearly 30,000 Get Cancer EVERY Year in the US from CT Scans

According to a study in the Archives of Internal Medicine last year, CT scans alone will cause nearly 30,000 unnecessary cancer cases (about 2 percent of cancer cases), which will lead to about 14,500 deaths.

But wait, there's more bad news.

While 30,000 cancer cases is a large number, a New England Journal of Medicine study from 2007 estimated that overuse of diagnostic CT scans may cause up to 3 million excess cancers over the next 20 to 30 years.

For those slow on math that is 1,000X more deaths over the next 25 years.

David Brenner of Columbia University, lead author of the study, told USA Today:

"About one-third of all CT scans that are done right now are medically unnecessary ... Virtually anyone who presents in the emergency room with pain in the belly or a chronic headache will automatically get a CT scan. Is that justified?"

Why are so many CT scans being done, when they result in so many unnecessary deaths?

There are several reasons:

       Physicians fear being sued for malpractice if they miss something.

       Some patients pressure their physicians for scans "just to be safe," especially after hearing advertisements touting the benefits of new hi-tech tests (without disclosure of the risks).

       Physicians are more often using scans to screen "the worried well" (such as scanning former smokers for lung cancer).

       Many doctors have purchased their own imaging equipment for their practices. This adds a financial incentive into the mix and sets the stage for overuse of the technology.

       There's a trend toward commercially advertised full-body CT scans to "find everything wrong with you." Consumers with extra cash lying around (in excess of $1,000 in most cases) are being encouraged to undergo a full-body scan as a preventive measure.

Becoming aware of the risks of medical scans is part of becoming a smart consumer and knowing your health care options. Research suggests that a dismal seven percent of patients are informed of the risks of CT scans.

Why X-Rays are so Damaging to Your Health

There are four primary reasons that x-rays (and other diagnostic tests that rely on ionizing radiation, such as mammograms and CTs) should be minimized:

They cause chromosomal mutations that are often irreparable, and the effects are cumulative.

They cause DNA changes that are proven to lead to cancer.

They cause DNA damage in your arteries, which can lead to cardiovascular disease.

They often result in misdiagnosis and false positives, increasing the likelihood of follow up tests-further increasing your radiation exposure.

X-rays and other types of ionizing radiation have been, for decades, a proven cause of virtually all types of mutations-especially structural chromosomal mutations. X-rays are an established cause of genomic instability, which is frequently seen in the most aggressive cancers.

X-rays act like tiny little "grenades" that are far more damaging to your DNA than the metabolic free radicals, which are routinely produced by your cell's natural metabolism..

How can radiation move you closer to a heart attack?

Radiation damages the DNA in your arteries, which in turn causes the cells lining your arteries to multiply abnormally, decreasing the size of the arterial lumen and effectively "narrowing" your arteries. This radiation-induced tissue inside your arteries is similar to scar tissue, decreasing vessel elasticity and increasing your risk for arterial blockage.

According to John Gofman, M.D., Ph.D., evidence indicates that more than 50 percent of deaths from cancer and more than 60 percent of deaths from ischemic heart disease may be x-ray-induced.

So, if you have already had plenty of x-rays, mammograms, CT scans, etc. what can you do now?  By all means, start on some sort of regular detox program (we recommend herbal and ionic footbaths) and be sure that you are consistently on the right supplement program for your body.  Eat the best diet as possible including plenty of raw foods, whole grains instead of processed grains (bread should have 3 grams of fiber at a miniumum - higher fiber - less processed).