Heavy use of CT scans raises concerns about patients' exposure to radiation

Imaging has aided diagnosis and helped many patients avoid exploratory surgery, but it has also spawned concerns about misuse. Experts cite ballooning costs, including from duplicate procedures, potential harm from the tests themselves and the overtreatment of harmless conditions found during scans. These "incidentalomas" — so named because they are found unexpectedly — include benign lung and thyroid nodules and other common conditions that can lead to unnecessary and expensive workups as well as treatment that can cause complications. Much of the attention has focused on computed tomography, or CT, scans, which use hundreds of X-rays to create detailed three-dimensional images that enable doctors to see things previously visible only through a biopsy or surgery.