Use of computed tomography (CT) to assess the amount of calcified plaque in the coronary arteries is accepted as an alternative to catheterization in patients at low-to-intermediate risk for coronary artery disease (CAD) who present with chest pain. It is also becoming an increasingly popular method for routine CAD screening in asymptomatic patients as part of a comprehensive risk assessment. But a study in the July 13 Archives of Internal Medicine concluded that widespread use of this technology could dramatically increase the number of radiation-induced cancer cases in the U.S., with women especially at risk.
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