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CT Scans Linked to Increased Blood Cancer Risk in Kids

9/20/2025

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Summary

Story summary

A study in the New England Journal of Medicine links medical imaging radiation, especially from CT scans, to higher blood cancer risk in children.
Researchers examined data from 3.7 million children born in the U.S. and Canada from 1996 to 2016.
Approximately 3,000 blood cancer cases, including leukemia and lymphoma, may result from radiation exposure.
One or two head CT scans nearly double cancer risk, while repeated scans increase it by 3.5 times.
The study urges minimizing unnecessary imaging and considering alternatives like ultrasound or MRI.

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Story summary

A study in the New England Journal of Medicine links medical imaging radiation, especially from CT scans, to higher blood cancer risk in children.
Researchers examined data from 3.7 million children born in the U.S. and Canada from 1996 to 2016.
Approximately 3,000 blood cancer cases, including leukemia and lymphoma, may result from radiation exposure.
One or two head CT scans nearly double cancer risk, while repeated scans increase it by 3.5 times.
The study urges minimizing unnecessary imaging and considering alternatives like ultrasound or MRI.