Asset Publisher

Research & Innovation Programmes

EPI-CT Epidemiological study to quantify risks for paediatric computerized tomography and to optimise doses

Duration
2011-2016
Coordinator
International Agency for Research on Cancer, (France) Prof. A. Kesmiene.
Funded by
European Comission
The use of diagnostic radiation techniques represents an indispensable, sometimes life-saving, tool in modern medicine. The increasing use of diagnostic radiation techniques in children and teenagers, and in particular the use of high doses is a topic of particular concern in radiological protection and public health. Studies of atomic bomb survivors and other populations with medical and environmental exposures suggest that children are generally more sensitive to the health effects of radiation than adults. In addition, children have a longer life expectancy than adults and consequently a longer period in which to develop radiation-related health effects. Owing to their lower mass, children tend to receive higher organ doses from these procedures than adults if procedures are not specifically adapted for paediatric applications.

A large-scale multinational collaborative study has been set up with the objective of providing guidance towards optimisation of doses from paediatric computerized tomography (CT) scans. The specific aims of the EPI-CT study are as follows:

• Describe the pattern of use of CT in different countries and over time

• Derive individual estimates of organ doses

• Directly evaluate radiation-related risk of cancer following CT examination and

• Characterize the quality of CT images in relation to the estimated doses in order to better inform CT imaging practice.

EPI-CT will comprise one of the largest paediatric cohorts for retrospective and prospective follow-up with the aim of detecting potential cases of cancer attributable to exposure and will thereby contribute novel evidence to the existing scientific literature.

The main goal is to integrate the cohort studies currently being carried out in Europe (in France and the United Kingdom) and to set up additional studies in eight European countries (Germany, Belgium, Denmark, Spain, Finland, Norway, the Netherlands and Sweden) under the coordination of the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) of the World Health Organization (WHO), jointly with scientists of several countries.

In Spain, the EPI-CT study is being conducted in the autonomous communities of Catalonia, Basque Country, Madrid, Murcia, Navarra and Valencia.

CREAL coordinates the EPI-CT study in Spain. It also plays a leading role in the international coordination of the project, as a part of both the international Steering Committee and the Advisory Board.

Within the EU grant, CREAL leads the work package on Epidemiological Methods and the task dealing with analysis of risks of childhood leukaemia in relation to radiation dose from CT.

Our Team

Principal Investigator (PI)

Our Team

  • Martine Vrijheid
    Martine Vrijheid Research Professor and Head of the Environment and Health over the Lifecourse Programme

Other projects

See Past Projects

MCC-Spain

Population based multicasecontrol study on common tumours in Spain

HELIX

Novel tools for integrating early-life environmental exposures and child health across Europe

EGG/EAGLE

Early Genetics Growth/Early Genetics and Lifecourse Epidemiology

PACE

Pregnancy and Childhood Epigenetics

LIFECYCLE

Early-life stressors and LifeCycle health

OMEGA-NET

Network on the Coordination and Harmonisation of European Occupational Cohorts

HARMONIC

Health effects of cArdiac fluoRoscopy and mOdern radIotherapy in paediatriCs

Mobilise-D

Connecting digital mobility assessment to clinical outcomes for regulatory and clinical endorsement

EARLY-ADAPT

Signs of Early Adaptation to Climate Change

COVICAT

Cohorte Covid-19 en Cataluña

ATHLETE

Advancing Tools for Human Early Lifecourse Exposome Research and Translation

CONTENT

Cohort of COVID-19 in Spain: social dynamics, mental health and inequalities

EUCAN-Connect

A federated FAIR platform enabling large-scale analysis of high-value cohort data connecting Europe and Canada in personalized health

OBERON

An integrative strategy of testing systems for identification of EDs related to metabolic disorders

EXPANSE

EXposome Powered tools for healthy living in urbAN SEttings

AURORA 2021

Actionable eUropean ROadmap for early-life health Risk Assessment of micro- and nanoplastics

ONES

Fine Particle Matter, Fetal Growth, and Neurodevelopment: Examining Critical Windows of Susceptibility

AIR-NB

Pre-natal exposure to urban AIR pollution and pre- and post-Natal Brain development

NutinBrain

The role of seafood and nut consumption on human neurodevelopment from pregnancy to adolescence

UrbanKids

Urban and social environment and childhood obesity – a natural moving2health experiment

iGenCO

In-Depth Genomics and Cross-Omics Analysis for Undiagnosed Rare Diseases on a User-Friendly Collaborative Platform

CityExposomeCat

An Exposome Approach to Urban Health: Individualized Environmental Exposure Assessment in an Adults Population Cohort Study (GCAT)

TwinAir

Digital Twins Enabled Indoor Air Quality Management for Healthy Living

UBDPOLICY

The Urban Burden of Disease Estimation for POLICY Making

TOLIFE

Combining Artificial Intelligence and smart sensing TOward better management and improved quality of LIFE in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

BWater

Drinking Water in Barcelona: Sustainability and Health Impact Assessment

INTERCAMBIO

Interventions to promote mental and physical health in changing working environments due to climate change, sustainable work practices, and in green jobs

intoDBP

Innovative Tools to Control Organic Matter and Disinfection Byproducts in Drinking Water

FINDOOR

FTIR spectroscopy for real-time detection of bacterial outbreaks and the rapid identification of pathogenic serotypes, relapsing infections and antibiotic resistance

OccRF-Health

Occupational exposure to radiofrequency electromagnetic fields: From exposure assessment to study of health in workers and their offspring

EPHOR

Exposome Project for Health and Occupational Research

EXPONIT

Analysing and studying how night shift work affects workers' circadian rhythms and health