Tuesday, July 17, 2007

Heart X-ray raises cancer risk for young, women

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A special type of X-ray used to diagnose heart disease may cause cancer in women and young adults and should be used with caution, U.S. doctors reported on Tuesday.

The procedure, called a computed tomography (CT) coronary angiography, is meant to reduce complications because it can see inside the heart and its arteries without invading the body.

But it gives a high dose of radiation, enough to cause cancer in vulnerable people, the researchers reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association. They said women and young men are especially at risk.


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