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Computed tomography coronary angiography (CTCA) utilizing a 64-slice scanner has been promoted as a noninvasive alternative to standard coronary angiography. However, little is known about the cancer risk from CTCA. Using complex computer modeling methods, investigators estimated the radiation doses from a single CTCA study and estimated cancer risks from those doses. They tested a standard CTCA protocol and a protocol using electrocardiographically controlled tube-current modulation (ECTCM; a method of reducing radiation delivery), both with and without inclusion of the aortic arch.
The lifetime attributable risk for cancer from a single study ranged from 1 in 5017 (0.02%) for 80-year-old men studied with ECTCM to 1 in 114 (0.88%) in 20-yea…