Pediatric computed tomography scan and subsequent risk of malignancy: a nationwide population-based cohort study in Korea using National Cancer Institute dosimetry system for computed tomography (NCICT)
Abstract
Computed tomography (CT) has advanced medical diagnostics by offering detailed anatomical imaging, but its use in children raises concerns due to higher radiation doses and increased vulnerability. This study enhances prior research by using organ-specific radiation dose calculations for a more precise cancer risk assessment, investigating the associations between pediatric cancers and radiation doses in a large population cohort. This nationwide cohort study analyzed National Health Insurance Service claims data from 2007 to 2015 with a focus on individuals < 20 years of age who underwent CT scans. We used the International Classification of Diseases Tenth Revision codes to identify an exposed cohort and excluded subjects with congenital anomalies or previous cancer diagnoses. The study had a 2-year lag period to minimize selection bias and reverse causation effects. We calculated the exposed organ dose for each organ during each CT scan using the national CT dose survey data and the National Cancer Institute for Computed Tomography (NCICT) dose calculator. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for cancer incidence according to organ-specific radiation dose. From 2007 to 2015, 1,540,633 children underwent CT scans, with 1,380,896 being included in the final analysis. A significant dose–response relationship was observed: for every one standard deviation increase in organ-specific radiation dose, the…
Read the paper
Related studies
- Improving sleep quality leads to better mental health: A meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials
- Tocilizumab in patients with severe COVID-19: a retrospective cohort study
- A new aging measure captures morbidity and mortality risk across diverse subpopulations from NHANES IV: A cohort study
- Fruit, vegetable, and legume intake, and cardiovascular disease and deaths in 18 countries (PURE): a prospective cohort study
- Are noise and air pollution related to the incidence of dementia? A cohort study in London, England
- Long COVID symptoms and duration in SARS-CoV-2 positive children — a nationwide cohort study
Go deeper in Evidence Hub
Evidence Hub adds a study data sheet (design, sample size, evidence level, key numbers), an AI summary and a chat grounded in the paper's text.