Dental X-rays ‘could increase the risk of thyroid cancer’
Repeated exposure to dental X-rays could be associated with a higher risk of developing thyroid cancer, scientists warned today.
The study by scientists from Brighton, Cambridge and Kuwait found the risk rose with increasing numbers of such X-rays.
Researchers said X-ray use in routine check-ups may have to be reconsidered, while admitting more research was needed.
The thyroid gland, in the neck, is known to be sensitive to ionising radiation, particularly in children.
About 1,900 new cases of thyroid cancer are diagnosed each year in Britain and incidence rates more than doubled between 1975 and 2006.
Dr Anjum Memon of the Brighton and Sussex Medical School, who led the study, said: "Although the individual risk is likely to be very low... the proportion of the population exposed is high."
