Dental X-rays can cause brain tumors

People who have had dental X-rays are more likely to develop a type of brain tumor called meningioma than those who have not, CNN reported citing a recent study published in the journal Cancer

The theory does not prove that X-rays cause tumors, but supports previous research about the connection. Dental X-rays have also beenimplicated in thyroid cancer.

"It’s a cautionary tale ... we do know that radiation can cause tumors, and we have to be judicious with its use," said Dr. Donald O’Rourke, an associate professor of neurosurgery at the University of Pennsylvania who was not involved in the study.

Meningiomas are the most frequently occurring tumor in the head. They are located in the meninges, the tissues covering the brain. The vast majority are "benign" - or noncancerous - but, depending on their location, could cause blindness or other serious neurological damage. Those in the skull base are more difficult to remove in their entirety. Depending on the tumor, surgery may not be required.