Doubtless you’ve heard the news by now that computed tomography scans cause cancer. Like other news published in medical journals, then reported by the news media and subsequently going viral on social media, the information is often stripped of all nuances and even some of the truth by the time it reaches our ears. It’s like a 21st-century version of the telephone game, on steroids.
The article that ignited this firestorm was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association on April 14, 2025.
kAm%96 DJ?@AD:D @7 E96 2CE:4=6[ 42==65 2? 23DEC24E[ :D 2E E96 368:??:?8 @7 2 D4:6?E:7:4 ;@FC?2= 2CE:4=6[ 2?5 @7E6?[ E92E’D 2D 72C 2D A6@A=6 C625] %96 23DEC24E C6A@CE65 E92E `_b[___ p>6C:42?D H:== 4@?EC24E 42?46C :? E96:C =:76E:>6D 7C@> E96 hb >:==:@? r% D42?D A6C7@C>65 :? a_ab] qFE E96 24EF2= DE@CJ :D >F49 >@C6 ?F2?465 E92? E96 23DEC24E]k^Am
kAm%96 DEF5J H2D F?56CE2<6? 2E E96 &?:G6CD:EJ @7 r2=:7@C?:2 :? $2? uC2?4:D4@[ H9:49 9@FD6D 2 52E232D6 @7 r% D42? 52E2 86?6C2E65 2E >@C6 E92? `cb 9@DA:E2=D 2?5 @FEA2E:6?E :>28:?8 46?E6CD :? a_ DE2E6D] %96 C6D62C496CD =@@<65 2E 2 D2>A=6 52E2D6E 2?5 7C@> E96C6 6IEC2A@=2E65 E96 6DE:>2E6 @7 hb >:==:@? D42?D 5@?6 @? e`]d >:==:@? A2E:6?ED :? a_ab] %96?[ FD:?8 2 >@56= 56G6=@A65 7C@> DEF5J:?8 C25:2E:@? 6IA@DFC6 2>@?8 y2A2?6D6 DFCG:G@CD @7 E96 2E@>:4 3@>3:?8 @7 w:C@D9:>2 2?5 }282D2<:[ E96 D4:6?E:DED 6I64FE65 2 D6C:6D @7 >2E96>2E:42= 42=4F=2E:@?D E@ 4@?4=F56 E92E `_b[___ A6CD@?D H:== 56G6=@A 42?46C 7C@> E96 G@=F>6 @7 D42?D A6C7@C>65 :? E92E J62C]k^Am
kAmx? @E96C H@C5D[ E96 ?F>36C :D 2 9JA@E96E:42= AC@;64E:@?] }@ @?6 :D 8@:?8 E@ 86E 42?46C 7C@> @?6 r% D42? 96 @C D96 925 :? @?6 A2CE:4F=2C J62C] x?DE625[ E96 42=4F=2E:@?D H6C6 2? 2EE6>AE E@ 6DE:>2E6 9@H E96 G@=F>6 @7 r% D42?D[ 4@FA=65 H:E9 E96 C25:2E:@? 5@D286D 56=:G6C65[ H@F=5 27764E E96 86?6C2= A@AF=2E:@?]k^Am
kAmx? DA:E6 @7 E96 :?96C6?E H62<?6DD6D @7 E96 DEF5J[ :ED 4@?4=FD:@? :D DE:== H@CE9 A2J:?8 2EE6?E:@? E@i x7 H6 4@?E:?F6 FE:=:K:?8 r% D42?D 2E E96 4FCC6?E C2E6 – H9:49 92D :?4C62D65 b_ A6C46?E D:?46 a__f – 2?5 2E E96 4FCC6?E C25:2E:@? 5@D286D[ r% D42?D H:== 6G6?EF2==J 36 C6DA@?D:3=6 7@C d A6C46?E @7 2== 42?46CD[ >2<:?8 E96> 2 C:D< 724E@C @? A2C H:E9 2=4@9@=[ H9:49 244@F?ED 7@C d]c A6C46?E @7 42?46CD[ 2?5 @36D:EJ[ H9:49 :D :>A=:42E65 :? f]e A6C46?E @7 42?46CD]k^Am
kAm%9:D :D 2? 6A:56>:@=@8:42= DEF5Jj E92E :D[ :E 9JA@E96D:K6D 23@FE E96 67764E @7 2 >65:42= :?E6CG6?E:@?[ @C r% D42?D[ @? E96 H9@=6 A@AF=2E:@?] (92E 5@6D E92E >62? 7@C J@F 2D 2? :?5:G:5F2=nk^Am
kAmx? 2?J >65:42= :?E6CG6?E:@?[ H96E96C :E 36 86EE:?8 2 r% D42? @C E2<:?8 2? 2DA:C:?[ J@F >FDE H6:89 E96 36?67:ED 282:?DE E96 C:D<D] p 8C62E 6I2>A=6 @7 E9:D 42=4F=2E:@? :D =@H\5@D6 r% D4C66?:?8 7@C =F?8 42?46C] {sr% :D 2AAC@G65 @?=J 7@C D>@<6CD 2?5 7@C>6C D>@<6CD H9@ 92G6 2E =62DE 2 a_ A24<\J62C D>@<:?8 9:DE@CJ W@?6 A24< 2 52J 7@C a_ J62CD[ @C EH@ A24<D 2 52J 7@C `_ J62CDX] %96 C62D@?i E96 36?67:E @7 :56?E:7J:?8 2? 62C=J =F?8 42?46C @FEH6:89D E96 C:D<D :? E9:D A@AF=2E:@? – E96 C:D<D :?4=F5:?8 7FEFC6 42?46CD[ 2D H6== 2D F??646DD2CJ 3:@AD:6Dj 9@H6G6C[ 7@C 2 A6CD@? H9@ 92D ?6G6C D>@<65[ E96 :?4:56?46 @7 =F?8 42?46C :D D@ C2C6 E92E E96 C:D<D 72C @FEH6:89 2?J 36?67:E]k^Am
kAmx7 J@F 2C6 :? 2 D:EF2E:@? H96C6 2 r% D42? >:89E 36 :?5:42E65[ 92G6 2 5:D4FDD:@? H:E9 J@FC A9JD:4:2? 23@FE E96 36?67:ED @7 E96 E6DE G6CDFD E96 C:D<D] x7[ 7@C :?DE2?46[ J@F 8@ E@ E96 6>6C86?4J C@@> 7@C 2 96252496 27E6C 2? 2FE@>@3:=6 244:56?E[ 2 r% D42? :D AC@323=J H2CC2?E65 E@ CF=6 @FE 2 3C2:? :?;FCJ @C D<F== 7C24EFC6] x7 E96 96252496 :D 7C@> 2 92?8@G6C[ @? E96 @E96C 92?5[ J@F 5@?’E ?665 2 r% D42? E@ 7:8FC6 E92E @?6 @FE]k^Am
kAm*@F 42? 2=D@ G6C:7J E92E E96 :>28:?8 46?E6C 7@==@HD E96 p{p#p AC@E@4@=[ 2D H6 5@ 2E #FDD6== |65:42=] p{p#p DE2?5D 7@C “pD {@H pD #62D@?23=J p49:6G23=6]” xE :D 2 D6C:6D @7 AC24E:46D C64@>>6?565 3J E96 }2E:@?2= x?DE:EFE6D @7 w62=E9 2?5 E96 r6?E6CD 7@C s:D62D6 r@?EC@= 2?5 !C6G6?E:@? E@ >:?:>:K6 A2E:6?ED’ 6IA@DFC6 E@ :@?:K:?8 C25:2E:@?] %9:D 368:?D H:E9 6?DFC:?8 E92E E96 C25:2E:@? 6IA@DFC6 :D ;FDE:7:65 – E92E :E :D E96 36DE @C @?=J @AE:@? 7@C >2<:?8 2 5:28?@D:D]k^Am
kAm%96 D64@?5 DE6A :D E@ C65F46 E96 2>@F?E @7 C25:2E:@? 6IA@DFC6] s@?’E 86E 2 r% D42? H:E9 2?5 H:E9@FE 4@?EC2DE :7 @?=J @?6 @C E96 @E96C :D DF77:4:6?E] s@?’E 86E 2 7F==\3@5J D42? :7 2== J@F ?665 :D 2 496DE r%] w2G6 2? F=EC2D@F?5 @C |#x W?6:E96C @7 H9:49 6>:ED C25:2E:@?X :7 :E H:== AC@G:56 E96 D2>6 5:28?@DE:4 :?7@C>2E:@? 2D 2 r%]k^Am
kAm%9:C5 DE6Ai &D6 :>>@3:=:K2E:@? E649?:BF6D E@ AC6G6?E A2E:6?E >@G6>6?E D@ E92E J@F 42? 86E J@FC A:4EFC6D :? @?6 E2<6] u@FCE9 DE6Ai &D6 D9:6=5:?8 H96?6G6C A@DD:3=6] p? 6I2>A=6 :D H96? J@F 86E J@FC 56?E2= )\C2JD[ 2?5 E96 9J8:6?:DE AFED 2 =625 2AC@? @G6C J@FC 496DE E@ AC6G6?E F??646DD2CJ 6IA@DFC6]k^Am
kAmu:?2==J[ 2E E96 9@DA:E2=[ H6 C68F=2C=J >2:?E2:? @FC :>28:?8 6BF:A>6?E D@ E92E :E @A6C2E6D 677:4:6?E=J 2?5 2AAC@AC:2E6=J] %96C6’D ?@E9:?8 HC@?8 H:E9 2D<:?8 J@FC :>28:?8 E649?:4:2? H96? E96 6BF:A>6?E H2D =2DE D6CG:465]k^Am
kAmk6>mO v6@C86 |:C2?52 :D E96 5:C64E@C @7 E96 &pq |65:4:?6 – #FDD6== |65:42= r2?46C r6?E6C]k^6>mk^Am

