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Kidney cancer incidence has roughly doubled since computed tomography (CT) was introduced in the mid-1970s, with almost no change in kidney cancer−related mortality. To explore this issue, investigators used Medicare claims data to examine the association between CT imaging and risk for nephrectomy in >15 million beneficiaries (age range, 65−85) from 2010 through 2014. A second cohort that included those who died during the study period was used to calculate postnephrectomy fatality rates.
During the 5-year study period, 43% of beneficiaries received chest or abdominal CT, ranging from 31% to 52% across all 306 U.S. hospital referral regions (HRRs). In analyses adjusted for age, sex, race, and smoking status, rate of CT use across HRRs was a…