CT radiation exposure and cancer risk: from knowing to acting

Excerpt

In the publication Risk of Hematological Malignancies from CT Radiation Exposure in Children, Adolescents and Young Adults by Bosch de Basea Gomez et al. in November 2023, investigators offer an opportunity to further our understanding of cancer risk for young patients from computed tomography (CT) related exposure to ionizing radiation [1]. The association between CT radiation and cancer risk continues to generate active discussion, requiring further clarification and additional investigations [2]. The study is well designed and the results add to the body of knowledge of the association between radiation from CT examinations and cancer risk in children and young adults. The authors found an association between cumulative dose and risk for all hematologic, lymphoid, and myeloid malignancies. However, there are some significant deficiencies in this study and some other works that provide epidemiological data regarding cancer risk and radiation from diagnostic imaging with respect to the conclusions: specifically, what additional actions should come from this information. …