30 Apr 2023 • Children who undergo four or more CT scans before the age of 18 are at double the risk of certain cancers into early adulthood, according to a new study. Researchers in Taiwan analysed the National Health Insurance Research Database to identify more than 7,800 patients under the age of 25 with intracranial tumours, leukaemia or lymphoma.

They found that exposure to a single paediatric CT scan was not associated with increased cancer risk, but exposure to two to three scans was associated with an increased risk for intracranial tumours.

The risk of tumours increased ninefold for children who received four or more CT scans. The researchers advise that radiation-reducing techniques and judicious use of CT scans should be employed to reduce the risk of cancer in children.

Source: Medscape | Read full article