Skip to main content
U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

X-RAY-INDUCED SKIN CANCER IN MAN

Journal Article · · First Internat. Conf. Biol. Cutaneous Cancer
OSTI ID:4684397
Development of cancer in human skin exposed to ionizing radiation is considered in terms of cell type of the observed tumors, relation between dose and effect, and mechanism of carcinogenesis. Human skin exposed to ionizing radiation may develop squamous-cell and basalcell carcinoma, occasionally sarcoma, and perhaps rarely, malignant melanoma and sebaceous carcinoma. The dose range required for radiation carcinogenesis in man is not precisely known. While a definite threshold dose cannot be demonstrated, it appears that carcinoma does not commonly develop in the absence of late sequelae. In most cases, skin cancer develops from chronic lesions resulting from repeated irradiation giving high total doses. These changes are not usually produced with total doses below 100 r. The upper limit of the carcinogenic range seems to be below the dose level used for cancer therapy. The mechanism of the genesis of radiation-induced carcinoma appears to be exceedingly complex. However, a considerable body of evidence suggests that perhaps at least two general tissue responses are involved, direct and indirect. These direct and indirect mechanisms operate in the production of radiation-induced cancer of the human skin; there is a possibility that in addition to radiation, other factors, as yet undefined, may exert a synergistic or cocarcinogenic effect. (H.H.D.)
Research Organization:
Roswell Park Memorial Inst., Buffalo
NSA Number:
NSA-17-033674
OSTI ID:
4684397
Journal Information:
First Internat. Conf. Biol. Cutaneous Cancer, Journal Name: First Internat. Conf. Biol. Cutaneous Cancer
Country of Publication:
Country unknown/Code not available
Language:
English

Similar Records

Apparent absence of a benign precursor lesion: Implications for the pathogenesis of malignant melanoma
Journal Article · Fri Sep 01 00:00:00 EDT 1989 · Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology; (USA) · OSTI ID:5345540

Data on the action spectrum for ultraviolet carcinogenesis
Journal Article · Fri Oct 31 23:00:00 EST 1975 · J. Natl. Cancer Inst., v. 55, no. 5, pp. 1119-1122 · OSTI ID:4130605

The oncogenic action of ionizing radiation on rat skin: Progress report, February 1, 1988-January 31, 1989
Technical Report · Thu Dec 31 23:00:00 EST 1987 · OSTI ID:6731101