Exposure to CT radiation increases risk for childhood brain tumors
Key takeaways:
- Data showed a positive association between head/neck CT imaging and risk for childhood brain tumors.
- Further research into the risks associated with radiation in the pediatric setting is needed.
Exposure to radiation from head or neck CT imaging increased risk for childhood brain tumors, according to results of a nationwide population-based study conducted in Finland.
“Our findings contribute to the body of evidence on the risks of low-dose ionizing radiation in pediatric populations,” Jad Abuhamed, MD, MPH, a doctoral student of health sciences at Tampere University, and colleagues wrote. “Further research with more precise dosimetry, including dose distribution within the brain, is needed.”
Children are more likely to be negatively affected by ionizing radiation due to the fact their organs and tissues are still developing, according to study background.
Abuhamed and colleagues conducted a nationwide population-based case-control study to assess the risk for childhood brain tumors following radiation from CT scans.
Researchers used the Finnish Cancer Registry to identify 1,067 patients — infants to those aged 15 years — diagnosed with brain tumors in Finland between 1990 and 2016. Gliomas accounted for more than half (58%) of brain tumors.
Investigators used the Finnish Population Information System to establish a cohort of 3,200 age- and sex-matched controls
Abuhamed and colleagues linked the study population to a dataset that included information about pediatric CTs conducted in Finland from 1975 through 2011. They established a 5-year lag period, excluding patients with cancer predisposition syndromes or prior malignancies.
Among eligible patients, nine cases (1%) and 10 controls (0.4%) had undergone at least one head/neck CT scan. Exposed patients had a median cumulative brain dose of 22 mGy.
Patients who underwent at least one head/neck CT scan exhibited significantly higher risk for childhood brain tumors as those who did not undergo head/neck CT scans (OR = 2.84; 95% CI, 1.12-7.19).
Researchers calculated an excess OR of 5.5 (95% CI, 0.31-10.95) for all brain tumors and an excess OR of 1.06 (95% CI, 6.55 to 9.3) for gliomas per 100 mGy of brain dose.
Researchers acknowledged study limitations, including a lack of detailed clinical information on the indications for CT scans, the study’s small sample size, a lack of hospital-specific scanning protocols and specific radiation output parameters, and limited information about other medical radiation exposures.
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