The increased risk of cancer from the radiation used in a CT scan is negligible compared with the benefits for children who need a scan, according to investigators at Cincinnati’s Hospital for Children in Ohio.

They reviewed the medical literature on the subject and held discussions with experts in the field, and report their conclusions in the journal Pediatrics.

Their goal was to “provide pediatricians with information that will be helpful in discussing with patients and families/caregivers the radiation risks of CT examinations and the important clinical advantage of these studies.”

Dr. Alan S. Brody told Reuters Health that his team found “no direct connection between CT examinations and subsequent development of cancer.” They did find consensus on using radiation doses “as low as reasonably achievable.”

“Often more than one imaging modality can be used to evaluate a child, Brody commented. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and ultrasound do not use ionizing radiation, he pointed out.

The radiologist has the responsibility to “adjust scanning techniques on the basis of special considerations of pediatric patients,” Brody and his colleagues explain. The role of the pediatrician is to decide whether or not a CT scan is necessary, and to discuss this with families.

In their summary, the Cincinnati team emphasizes that “there is wide agreement that the benefits of an indicated CT scan far outweigh the risks.”

SOURCE: Pediatrics, September 2207.