Diagnostic radiography and adult acute myeloid leukaemia: an interview and medical chart review study
2011

Radiography and Risk of Acute Myeloid Leukaemia

Sample size: 412 publication Evidence: low

Author Information

Author(s): Pogoda J M, Nichols P W, Ross R K, Stram D O, Thomas D C, Preston-Martin S

Primary Institution: Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California

Hypothesis

Is there an association between diagnostic radiography and the risk of acute myeloid leukaemia (AML)?

Conclusion

The association between diagnostic radiography and AML risk remains uncertain.

Supporting Evidence

  • The study found no convincing association between AML risk and ionising radiation exposure from diagnostic imaging procedures.
  • The majority of cases were matched by birth year, ethnicity, and sex.
  • The study confirmed earlier findings that there is no strong evidence linking diagnostic radiography to AML.

Takeaway

Doctors wanted to know if getting X-rays could cause a type of blood cancer called AML, but they found no clear link.

Methodology

The study involved 412 matched case-control pairs with data collected from interviews and medical records regarding diagnostic radiography histories.

Potential Biases

Non-participation was largely due to death, which may have biased results if non-participating cases had higher exposure.

Limitations

The study had a relatively low participation rate (57% of eligible cases) and potential exposure misclassification.

Participant Demographics

Participants were adults aged 30-69, with a mix of ethnicities and socioeconomic statuses.

Statistical Information

P-Value

0.03

Confidence Interval

95% CI:−3%, 11%

Statistical Significance

p=0.03 for M4 subtype

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1038/bjc.2011.114

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