Coronary Calcium Scans Can Raise Cancer Risks
But study finds wide range of doses, lack of protocols for this screening test
Posted July 13, 2009
A definitive study of the risk-benefit ratio of CAC scanning is unlikely, Einstein said. The people in question are not at high risk of heart disease, and "the rarer an event is, the larger the sample size that is needed," he said. "A randomized controlled trial would require hundreds of thousands or millions of patients, with adequate follow-up."
More information
For more on coronary calcium scans, go to the U.S. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.
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