A cutting-edge test aimed at diagnosing heart disease might also be putting some people at risk for cancer.
Researchers arrived at that conclusion after developing a risk model for 64-slice computed tomography coronary angiography (CTCA). CTCA, which delivers doses of ionizing radiation, is fast becoming the diagnostic test of choice for people suspected of having heart problems.
The risk model estimated a lifetime cancer risk ranging from a high of 1 in 143 for a 20-year-old woman to a low of 1 in 3,261 for an 80-year-old man. When the investigators factored in the use of a strategy to reduce the dose of ionized radiation delivered during the test, the risk dropped somewhat, but was still significantly high for younger people and women. For example, the risk for a 60-year-old woman was 1 in 715, versus 1 in 1,911 for a 60-year-old man.
“In this study, we observed a marked variation by age, sex and scan protocol for cancer risk associated with radiation exposure from CTCA,” write the authors. “The results of this study suggest that CTCA should be used particularly cautiously in the evaluation of young individuals, especially women.”
They suggest doctors seriously consider alternative tests for these people, such as stress electrocardiography, echocardiography or magnetic resonance imaging.
SOURCE: The Journal of the American Medical Association, 2007;298:317-323