WIKIMEDIA COMMONS, NITHINRAO
Children under the age of 15 who received two to three CT scans of the head have three times the risk of developing brain cancer as adults compared to those who have never received the scan, according to new research published yesterday (June 6) in The Lancet. In addition, children are also three times as likely to develop leukemia as adults if they receive 5 to 10 scans.
The study drew on data from nearly 180,000 patients who had CT performed between 1985 and 2002. A total of 74 of the patients were diagnosed with leukemia, and 135 with brain cancer. Although absolute numbers are small, the increase in risk over the general population justifies exploring alternative imaging options such as ultrasound or MRI, the ...
