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Do CT scans in children increase brain cancer risk?

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  • Description

    Dr. Richard Firshein looks at new study

  • Duration 2:29
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The doctor is in about a new concerns involving testing children for head injuries.

This after the results of an alarming new study find that cat scans in some cases might triple the risk of brain cancer and leukemia.

Later in life.

Doctor Richard for -- director of the first -- -- for comprehensive Madison Andy's here to tell us about the results of that study.

And didn't know the British did this study children under fifteen.

Who had two or three CT scans cat scans of the head.

Had triple the risk of brain cancer compared with the general population.

Yeah this is an important study is the first time that we -- which actually could find the link between.

Radiation exposure.

And the risk of cancer in this case brain cancer and leukemia.

Previously all the work that had been done was based on research from Nagasaki and Hiroshima and that was based on information that really didn't tell us about.

X ray information this is very specific about exposures -- the test we do.

Because -- do involve X rays CT scans involve taking an X ray of them hander what ever part of body from from various angles.

I think people don't understand that cat scan actually is a very powerful X ray we won't go for chest X -- Everyone's concerned you know wanna get too many X -- there's also also found that -- increased risk of -- NG -- another kind of brain cancer from dental X rays.

But a cat -- is actually the equivalent of 100.

2500.

X rays well that's a lot of radiation and now we're learning the effects so should parents essentially refused to have their children undergo a cat -- Well I think what we need to do we need to step back a little bit and try to understand why we're doing all these -- -- -- probably half of the tests that we do in terms of -- -- necessary.

Many kids go into the emergency room and immediately get cat scans that's or some sort of trauma -- some experience that.

Where they've had some apparent brain -- or or -- head injury.

And what we can do to spend a little more time thinking about why we're doing these tests may be pulled back a little bit.

And when your have a case on this case if -- -- -- what -- the -- well.

What they found is one in 30000.

Children would develop brain cancer if they received two -- three the equivalent of two or three cat -- What we need to do is think about.

What the risk is and what the benefit as cat scans are enormously powerful tool doctors can't live without them we don't want to live without them we need to think about why we using them.

Doctor Richard for -- good advice thank thank you very.

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