Responding to a study published in the Lancet regarding radiation risk from pediatric CT, the American College of Radiology (ACR) urged parents not to avoid necessary CT scans for their children.
The study found that radiation exposure received from two to three head CT scans in childhood (younger than 15 years old) can triple the risk of developing brain cancer later in life, while five to 10 such scans could triple the risk of developing leukemia (Lancet, June 7, 2012).
Radiation risk from pediatric CT scans should not keep parents from getting needed medical imaging care for their children; however, it should be discussed with physicians and factored into shared decision-making before an imaging scan is performed, ACR said.
"CT scans are most often performed on children who have experienced trauma to the head, neck, or spine, or may suffer from neurological disorders or injury, or may need fast and accurate evaluation for complex and life-threatening clinical issues such as pneumonia complications or chest infections," said Dr. Marta Schulman, chair of the ACR's Pediatric Imaging Commission. "If an imaging scan is warranted, the immediate benefits outweigh what is still a very small long-term risk. Parents should certainly discuss risk with their provider, but not refuse care that may save and extend their child's life."
Before their child receives any scan, parents can ask their physician whether there are imaging alternatives that do not use radiation that would be equally effective, whether their child will receive a "kid-sized" radiation dose, and whether the facility is ACR-accredited, the college said.
