New software cuts CT radiation in half

Recent studies have suggested that computed tomography, or CT scans, might increase a person’s risk of developing cancer over their lifetime, Reuters reports. But a new software program that enhances image quality cuts the radiation dose of a colon scan in half, while still producing clear images. This will allow doctors to “use far less radiation than even a typical abdominal CT scan without compromising image quality,” said Dr. Daniel Johnson of the Mayo Clinic in Arizona, the study’s lead author. While CT scans of the colon (also known as virtual colonoscopy) can replace a more invasive test in which a camera is inserted into the rectum to look for cancer, concerns about radiation have caused many doctors to avoid them. This method could minimize that concern. General Electric provided the software for the study, according to Reuters.

Reuters