Cumulative radiation exposure and cancer risk estimation in children with heart disease.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Children with heart disease are frequently exposed to imaging examinations that use ionizing radiation. Although radiation exposure is potentially carcinogenic, there are limited data on cumulative exposure and the associated cancer risk. We evaluated the cumulative effective dose of radiation from all radiation examinations to estimate the lifetime attributable risk of cancer in children with heart disease.

Methods and results

Children ≤6 years of age who had previously undergone 1 of 7 primary surgical procedures for heart disease at a single institution between 2005 and 2010 were eligible for the study. Exposure to radiation-producing examinations was tabulated, and cumulative effective dose was calculated in millisieverts. These data were used to estimate life

SUBMITTER: Johnson JN 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4103421 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature