Dental X-Rays Linked To Common Brain Tumor

redletterdave writes "A new study suggests people who had certain kinds of dental X-rays in the past may be at an increased risk for meningioma, the most commonly diagnosed brain tumor in the U.S. Dr. Elizabeth Klaus, the study's lead author and a professor at the Yale School of Medicine, discovered that dental X-rays are the most common source of exposure to ionizing radiation — which has been linked to meningiomas in the past — and that those diagnosed with meningiomas were more than twice as likely as a comparison group to report ever having had bitewing images taken. And regardless of the age when the bitewings were taken, those who had them yearly or more frequently were between 40 percent and 90 percent higher risk at all ages to be diagnosed with a brain tumor."

Comments

And it took this long to "make the connection"?

[dryriver]

Everybody with half a brain has known for decades that radiation, whether it comes from an X-Ray or the current mess that is the Fukushima NPlant, is dangerous, and very much capable of causing cancer. So how on earth did it take THIS LONG for the link between dental X-Rays and brain tumours to be made? I don't want to get all conspiratorial, but it seems to take 3 - 5 decades each time, for something involving radiation actually being linked to cancer. For example, after over 2 decades of rumors and talk about it, we still don't know with any degree of certainty whether cellphones/mobilephones do or don't cause cancer. Given the overall time trend established, we'll probably know for sure, say, 2 - 3 decades from now, when its too late for any of us to stop using a mobile phone.