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07/06/2012
Report Suggests CT Scans On Children 'Could' Increase Cancer Risk
A new study suggests that multiple CT scans in childhood can triple the risk of developing brain cancer or leukaemia.
A Newcastle University-led team examined the NHS medical records of almost 180,000 young patients.
They said the study underlined the fact the scans should only be used when necessary and that ways of cutting their radiation should be pursued.
However the authors, writing in The Lancet, emphasised that the benefits of the scans usually outweighed the risks.
During a CT (computerised tomography) scan, an X-ray tube rotates around the patient's body to produce detailed images of internal organs and other parts of the body.
In the first long-term study of its kind, the researchers looked at the records of patients aged under 21 who had CT scans at a range of British hospitals between 1985 and 2002.
Because radiation-related cancer takes time to develop, they examined data on cancer cases and mortality up until 2009.
The study estimated that the increased risk translated into one extra case of leukaemia and one extra brain tumour among 10,000 CT head scans of children aged under ten.
Dr Mark Pearce, an epidemiologist from Newcastle University who led the study, said: "We found significant increases in the risk of leukaemia and brain tumours, following CT in childhood and young adulthood.
"The immediate benefits of CT outweigh the risks in many settings.
"Doses have come down dramatically over time - but we need to do more to reduce them. This should be a priority for the clinical community and manufacturers."
(H)
A Newcastle University-led team examined the NHS medical records of almost 180,000 young patients.
They said the study underlined the fact the scans should only be used when necessary and that ways of cutting their radiation should be pursued.
However the authors, writing in The Lancet, emphasised that the benefits of the scans usually outweighed the risks.
During a CT (computerised tomography) scan, an X-ray tube rotates around the patient's body to produce detailed images of internal organs and other parts of the body.
In the first long-term study of its kind, the researchers looked at the records of patients aged under 21 who had CT scans at a range of British hospitals between 1985 and 2002.
Because radiation-related cancer takes time to develop, they examined data on cancer cases and mortality up until 2009.
The study estimated that the increased risk translated into one extra case of leukaemia and one extra brain tumour among 10,000 CT head scans of children aged under ten.
Dr Mark Pearce, an epidemiologist from Newcastle University who led the study, said: "We found significant increases in the risk of leukaemia and brain tumours, following CT in childhood and young adulthood.
"The immediate benefits of CT outweigh the risks in many settings.
"Doses have come down dramatically over time - but we need to do more to reduce them. This should be a priority for the clinical community and manufacturers."
(H)
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