Dental X-rays may increase the risk of thyroid cancer and meningioma

About 3,500 new cases of thyroid cancer and 1,850 ‘meningiomas’ (tumours which are mostly benign and grow slowly), are diagnosed each year in the UK and researchers have discovered an increase in both diseases in many countries in the past 30 years.

Professor Anjum Memon, Chair in Epidemiology and Public Health Medicine at Brighton and Sussex Medical School, said much of the increase in thyroid cancers is “probably due to increased surveillance, screening and over-diagnosis (i.e. detection of a cancer that would not ultimately cause symptoms), but we believe other causes need investigation.”

He said the thyroid gland is situated in the neck and the meninges cover the brain and spinal cord: “These organs will be exposed to radiation from dental X-rays. Both organs are highly radiosensitive, particularly in childhood and adolescence. Dental radiography, a source of low-dose diagnostic radiation, is often overlooked as a potential hazard to these organs.” He said more research was needed to further test the hypothesis.”