Pediatric Radiation Risks

Researchers in DCEG’s Radiation Epidemiology Branch (REB) have updated their popular professional education brochure Radiation Risk and Pediatric Computed Tomography: A Guide for Health Care Providers. Originally created in 2002 in response to the dramatically increased use of diagnostic and interventional radiologic procedures, Ruth A. Kleinerman, M.P.H., and Elaine Ron, Ph.D., M.P.H., collaborated with the Society for Pediatric Radiology to increase awareness of the need to minimize the levels of radiation to which children are exposed through these procedures. “A key element of the brochure is the table showing the differences in radiologic dose between child and adult settings,” Ms. Kleinerman said. Because computed tomography (CT) scans are often conducted at adult settings and doses, children have been exposed to radiation levels much higher than necessary. Several decades of epidemiologic research have shown that children are considerably more sensitive to late radiation effects than adults and, because of their young age, have many more years to develop radiation-related cancers than do adults. The risk for developing a radiation-related cancer can be several times higher for a young child than for an adult exposed to an identical CT scan.

Dr. Ron and Ms. Kleinerman have updated the brochure to reflect the improvements made in pediatric radiologic practices since its initial release in 2002. Dr. Kwang Pyo Kim, former dosimetrist for REB, revised the exposure table using data derived from recent literature, showing doses in ranges rather than as single numbers. The revised table shows a reassuring decrease in doses to the head among children.

“Since its initial release, there has been a tangible reaction in the medical radiology community to this information and adoption of the ‘as low as reasonably achievable’ concept,” said Dr. Ron, who continues to study the effects of childhood exposure to radiation in various populations. “We hope this new information continues to increase awareness, not only in pediatric radiologists, but also family practice doctors and pediatricians, and results in a measurable decline in the overall doses to which children are exposed through these procedures.”

The brochure is available online at http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/causes/radiation-risks-pediatric-CT.

—Alyssa Voss, M.P.H.

Absorbed organ doses in children by exam type: (1) using an adult setting and (2) using a setting modified for children.