Radiation: What determines the risk?
- Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Inst., Bethesda, MD (United States)
Radiation, like other DNA damaging agents, can initiate a series of cellular events responsible for cancer development. However, in any individual the risk of cancer arising from a carcinogen exposure is variable, and is not a fixed value dependent only on the dose of carcinogen. This variability in overall risk arises from variability in the probabilities of the intermediate steps of the multistep processes of carcinogenesis. Using cellular and animal model systems, we have shown that deliberate manipulation of these biological processes is possible, and that the risk of cancer from a fixed exposure to a carcinogen can be made to increase or decrease. We have also shown that such changes in risk can result from intervention at times long before or after that carcinogen exposure. These results indicate that the principles of radiation protection can be expanded. We suggest that in addition to offering protection against exposure, radiation protection can include the development of strategies for protection against the ultimate biological consequences of an exposure. Improved understanding of the biology of radiation responses may lead to techniques for deliberate intervention that could be particularly useful in long duration manned space flight.
- OSTI ID:
- 79452
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-9110312-; TRN: 9581450
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: NATO Advanced Studies Institute on the biological effects and physics of solar and galactic cosmic radiation conference, Faro (Portugal), 13-22 Oct 1991; Other Information: PBD: 1993; Related Information: Is Part Of Biological effects and physics of solar and galactic cosmic radiation, Part B; Proceedings of a NATO Advanced Study Institute on Biological Effects and Physics of Solar and Galactic Cosmic Radiation, Algarve, Portugal, Oct. 13-23, 1991; Swenberg, C.E.; Horneck, G.; Stassinopoulos, E.G.; PB: 939 p.
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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