Cumulative Radiation Dose From CT in Young People Linked to Malignancy Risk

TUESDAY, Nov. 28, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- Cumulative radiation dose to the bone marrow as a result of computed tomography (CT) examinations in individuals aged younger than 22 years is associated with an increased risk for subsequent hematological malignancies, according to a study published online Nov. 9 in Nature Medicine.

Magda Bosch de Basea Gomez, Ph.D., from the Barcelona Institute for Global Health in Spain, and colleagues followed a multinational cohort of 948,174 individuals who underwent CT examinations before age 22 years in nine European countries. On the basis of body part scanned, patient characteristics, time period, and inferred CT technical parameters, radiation doses to the active bone marrow were estimated.

The researchers found an association between cumulative dose and risk for all hematological malignancies, with an excess relative risk of 1.96 (95 percent confidence interval, 1.10 to 3.12) per 100 mGy. For lymphoid and myeloid malignancies, similar estimates were obtained. For every 10,000 children examined today (mean dose, 8 mGy), in the subsequent 12 years, one to two persons are expected to develop a hematological malignancy attributable to radiation exposure.

"The findings highlight the need for raising awareness in the medical community and continued strict application of radiological protection measures in medical settings through justification and optimization of radiological procedures, particularly in pediatric populations," the authors write.

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