[ RadSafe ] Frequent dental X-rays linked to most common brain tumor

[McClung, Danny]

Mettler and Upton, Medical Effects of Ionizing Radiation, 3rd Edition, (Elsevier, 2008. Pp 137-8) states:

"The potential induction of brain tumors by radiation has been examined in a large number of epidemiologic studies.  Most studies indicate that the risk in adults is low relative to that of other tissues.  Most studies also report no excess risk or a nonstatistically significant excess, particularly when exposures are less than 1 Gy".  

1 Gy is a lot of dental bitewing x-rays....and probably a lifetimes worth of panoramics.

-----Original Message-----
From: radsafe-bounces at health.phys.iit.edu [mailto:radsafe-bounces at health.phys.iit.edu] On Behalf Of Chris Alston
Sent: Tuesday, April 10, 2012 11:03 AM
To: The International Radiation Protection (Health Physics) Mailing List
Subject: Re: [ RadSafe ] Frequent dental X-rays linked to most common brain tumor

Roy

This certainly sounds intriguing.  But, without even reading it, I
would say that it is clearly a context in which one wants to be very
careful about claims of causality versus claims of a merely associated
risk.  The brain is not radio-sensitive for carcinogenicity, is it?.
What geometry of dental x-rays would induce or promote brain tumors,
but not those of, say, the salivary glands, tongue, gums, bones of the
jaw, or even the thyroid?

I worry a lot about folks barking up the wrong tree.  Witness the
to-do over the airport backscatter scanners, where the effective dose
is an insignificant fraction of that incurred in the course of the
actual airplane trip.

Cheers
cja


---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: ROY HERREN <royherren2005 at yahoo.com>
Date: Mon, Apr 9, 2012 at 11:36 PM
Subject: [ RadSafe ] Frequent dental X-rays linked to most common brain tumor
To: radsafe at agni.phys.iit.edu


As luck would have it I had my annual dental X-rays just this afternoon.


http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-04-frequent-dental-x-rays-linked-common.html
Frequent dental X-rays linked to most common brain tumorApril 10, 2012 in Cancer

People who received frequent dental x-rays in the past have an increased risk of
developing the most commonly diagnosed primary brain tumor in the United States.
That is the finding of a study published early online in Cancer, a peer-reviewed
journal of the American Cancer Society. Although dental x-rays are necessary in
many cases, these findings suggest that moderate use of this form of imaging may
be of benefit to some patients.

 Roy Herren
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