J Am Coll Radiol. 2013 Nov;10(11):817-9. doi: 10.1016/j.jacr.2013.03.029. Epub 2013 Sep 14.
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Radiologists are frequently asked by referring physicians and patients to explain the risk from a CT study. The answers are difficult because there are no absolute truths and because of many biased media reports. As we look for answers, it is important that the information provided in our journals be as accurate as possible. New authors and the media search for peer-reviewed material they can quote to support their own viewpoints. Critical in the discussion of CT cancer risk is the question of the presence or absence of a dose threshold. Can the Japanese atomic bomb results for the incidence of cancer from high-dose radiation be extrapolated back to zero to estimate the risks of very small doses of radiation causing cancer, or is there a threshold below which there is no risk?