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Health A-Z

Medical Content Created by the Faculty of the
Harvard Medical School

What It's Used For

X-rays are used for many purposes, including determining if a bone is broken, seeing whether an internal organ is infected, and looking for cancer. There are many different types of X-rays currently used to detect cancer. For example, both mammography (a series of breast X-rays) and the barium enema (a series of bowel X-rays with contrast medium), are routine procedures sometimes used for cancer screening in adults of certain age groups. To check for tumors in precise cross-sections of the body, a computed tomography (CT) scan also can be used. A CT scan is a series of X-rays linked to computer technology. Even without using specialized techniques, uncomplicated, routine X-rays often can show abnormal shadows or silhouettes that might be cancerous tumors.

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From Health A-Z, Harvard Health Publications. Copyright 2007 by the President and Fellows of Harvard College. All rights reserved. Written permission is required to reproduce, in any manner, in whole or in part, the material contained herein. To make a reprint request, contact Harvard Health Publications. Used with permission of StayWell.

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