CT scan + child + cancer risk = my anxiety

[sarahmurphymoo]

Hi All,

I'm new to the site, and have specifically joined to try and help me get through my current anxiety issue.

2 months ago, my daughter had a fall (which i blame myself for as i wasn't paying full attention to her)

she went to hospital with concussion, they debated over whether she needed a CT scan or not, in the end they did one, and everything came back fine - she is now fine.

However, since the scan, i have been reading up on CT scans and the potential cancer risks in children.

There is one specific study which was published in the Lancet (medical journal) which studied about 180,000 children over the past 20 years, and found about 70 cases of leukemia and 135 cases of brain tumour. They specifically made efforts to exclude any cancer daignosis scans which would make the daignosis bias.

The study went on to suggest that for every 10,000 head scans on children under the age of 10, there will be 1 additional case of leukemia and 1 additional brain tumour because of the scan. (ie 2 in 10,000 = 1 in 5000 of something)

So, i know these numbers are small and the risk is low, and the need for the scan was greater than the risk of not doing it all. But i've got two issues.

1. I blame myself for my daughters fall, we were in the loft, i wan't paying attention to her and she fell through the loft hatch. Even though i have warned her about the dangers of being up there several time, i see it as my duty to have taken care of her, in reality, she shouldn't have been there at all

2. I'm convincing myself that she will get a brain tumour / leukemia because of the scan. To make it worse, it takes about 2 years for leukemia to show, and about 5 years before a brain tumour will show - and potentially could occur for many years after - therefore i can't seek any closure on this, or "face my fear"

It might be 2 / 5 years before any signs start to show, and will probably be about 15 years of nothing happening before i start to feel that the scan has had no ill effects.

I'm trying to be rational about these odds of her developing leukemia / tumour - a 1 in 5000 chance is 0.0002%

even if you take the fact that out of 180,000 patients there were about 180 instances - that's 1 in 1000, which is 0.001%

I struggle to understand how 180 out of 180,000 people had something wrong with them, that they then make it a 2 in 10,000 estimate and not 1 in 1,000


sorry, i know this is rambling a bit but i want to achieve the following.

1. I want to accept what has happened and understand that i cannot change it.
2. I want to accept that the risk is low, the scan was needed and that i should focus on the chance of her being fine
3. I want to enjoy my time with her, so that even if the worst does happen, i can look back and be happy that i had the best time possible with her.

I'm currently seeing a hypnotherapist who deals with anxiety and CBT, i've had one session so far.

I normally a very logical person, and i understand the logic behind why i really shouldn't be worrying about this, the problem is i am really struggling to take my own advice.

Can anyone help / share any similar experiences?

Thanks

[Aillie]

I can relate to this,

I too have a ( sometimes unhelpful) knowledge of the perceived risks of x rays/ ct scans etc.
I had a mammogram when I was 30 for a breast issue and became convinced I would get breast cancer from the radiation as a result. The fact that the Internet reports it is more harmful in young women only increased my anxiety.
However it's important to put things into perspective, and the incidences you reported are , in the broad scheme if things, tiny.
Also, we all take out eyes off our children and they get hurt. My baby fell off a chair onto his head when we were out for dinner the other night. I should also have kept a closer eye on him but accept that these things happen and have learned from this.
I hope this helps. In addition, ratical.orgradiation induced cancer provides factual info should you require further information. It's a free online book. Hope this helps

Take care and try not to best yourself up

[justina]

I am in the same situation as you...

2 years ago my son had very low platelets due to a blood disease. Unfortunately during this disease he fell and hit his head, and a CT scan was necessary because of the risk of an internal bleeding.

I have read the same thing you have, and I am so afraid that the scan has affected him in some way. I am really very worried.

[Smellsofroses]

As a mum I understand the worry. My 3 year old son told me a while back that he had swallowed a plastic special toy nail (for making things out of foam so quite long and sharp) I was not sure but the way the information was told by him made me believe him. I too should have been watching but sometimes you can't be there all the time. On this occasion they X rayed him to make sure it had not pierced his oesophagus. I felt awful that he had to have it but at the end of the day I felt that if I had not and something had happened it would be worse.

I would say the same for the CT scan and your daughter. Yes she fell down from the loft but you can't blame yourself. My same son threw himself off a 5 foot wall two days later (almost 2 x his height as he is small) when my husband's back was turned. Kids do these things. It was only because he jumped and landed on his feet that he was not seriously injured and as it was he gave himself the nosebleed of the century. I think that you have to accept you did what was best for your daughter at the time she needed medical treatment. The hospital did not give her a ct scan carte Blanche but must have felt she needed it and it was important that she had it.

I know it must be hard to reconcile - I turned an X-ray down today because I've already had a ct scan and an X-ray this year(!) but I think the chances of your daughter being fine are in your favour. Perhaps you should talk to an expert about your fears. When I thought I had inflammatory breast cancer I emailed the world expert in America some questions, and do you know he came right back to me. They are more accessible than you think. Do some research and ping an email to someone who really knows. That could be a cancer expert or a top ct radiologist.

I don't know what else to suggest but I hope you manage to feel better soon as 25 years is a long time to wait and you'll make yourself ill. X

[Manyofus]

I wanted to respond to saramurphymoo. I also had a child who had a ct scan on one of the old scanners that are mentioned in the study that you referred to. I had gotten over my worries, but after I read that study, I found myself worrying again after the fact, and wondering the same thing. I don't understand how 135 brain tumors out of 180, 000 study participants turns into a risk of 1 tumor per 10,000 scanned children. And then, at the very end of the study they say that the risk is one in five hundred! I actually read this study multiple times trying to figure it out, and neither I nor a couple friends I shared it with could understand their tables and conclusions. They also stated that the risk is presumed to continue for life! I even tried to ask a couple people at the health physics society, but they did not clarify this either. I know that it is unproductive to worry at this point, but a mom's guilt knows no bounds! I am just wondering if you found any answers on how to interpret the study, and if you have calmed your fears. My son has been fine, but I always have had the ct in the back of my mind, and this study was alarming. I ran across saramurphymoo os post, and signed up just to ask about this.

Thanks.

[BumbleGirl]

Hello Sarah,

As a mum I can understand your worries completely but this is a very unlikely scenario. So many children have ct scans and if there was a definite link we would be hearing about it all the time xxx

[lavanya]

Hi, I am also in the same guilt. How is your child now? My baby also had a CT scan at 1 week of age because of a hematoma. I am extremely worried about the risks. How long should we be worried about the risks? Did you understand the study or get any idea about the risks?

[AnnieMags]

I absoutely understand everyone's worries, but the risk from a single CT scan is so minute and completely outweighed by any potential need for/benefit from the scan.

My son had a condition (will not post details to avoid any potential triggers) and surgery at the age of 12. Both in the run-up to diagnosis and post surgery he had numerous head CT scans, repeated later at six-monthly intervals for quite a while. He is 40 this year and - thank God! - in perfect health. :) Of course I have worried over the years but I knew that the doctors did need to do the scans to monitor what was going on, and that it would have been more harmful not to do them than to do them.

We may not always be able to keep our little ones away from all potential harm, but following doctors' advice and allowing recommended tests is very unlikely to result in adverse outcomes.

Best wishes to all from Annie :hugs:

[lavanya]

AnnieMags - Thankyou so much for taking time to reply. Good to know your son is in good health. Feeling much relief after hearing your words.