How often do full-body MRIs find cancer?

Re:How often do full-body MRIs find cancer? by lostlogin on Sunday February 15, 2026 @04:25AM (#47022314)

> You'd have to be massively overexposed to CT or PET scanning to cause cancer

The mean effective dose for all patients from a single PET/CT scan was 20.6 mSv. For males aged 40 y, a single PET/CT scan is associated with a LAR of cancer incidence of 0.169%. This risk increased to 0.85% if an annual surveillance protocol for 5 y was performed. For female patients aged 40 y, the LAR of cancer mortality increased from 0.126 to 0.63% if an annual surveillance protocol for 5 y was performed.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36856709/

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:How often do full-body MRIs find cancer? by ErroneousBosh on Sunday February 15, 2026 @07:15AM (#47023110)

> 0.126 to 0.63%

So, a just-about-measurable increase, if you pick and choose your values carefully?

You are not going to die from cancer caused by getting a PET scan. This will not happen.

You're going to die of heart disease or as a not-too-distant second in a car accident.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:How often do full-body MRIs find cancer? by lostlogin on Sunday February 15, 2026 @12:17PM (#47025448)

That data is for one scan, ever.

Continuous scanning for months would give a dose many orders of magnitude higher.

[ Parent | on HN ]