Cancer following medical irradiation

Journal Article · Sun Mar 01 04:00:00 EST 1981 · Cancer (Philadelphia); (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1002/1097-0142(19810301)47:5+<1081::AID-CNCR2820471305>3.0.CO;2-3· OSTI ID:5503896

Boice, J D

Several generalizations about radiation carcinogenesis can be made: 1) a single exposure is sufficient to elevate cancer incidence many years later: 2) radiation-induced cancer cannot be distinguished from naturally occurring cancer, i.e., there is not unique radiogenic cancer; 3) all cancers appear to be increased after irradiation with the exception of chronic lymphocytic leukemia, and possibly Hodgkin's disease, cervical cancer, and a few others; 4) the breast, thyroid, and bone marrow appear especially radiosensitive; 5) leukemia is the most prominent radiogenic tumor and shows a wave-like pattern of excess incidence over time, and the excess begins within two to four years, peaks about six to eight years, and decreases to normal levels about 25 years later; 6) solid tumors have a minimum latent period of about ten years, and for several cancers, the temporal pattern of incidence appears to follow the natural incidence, i.e., the cancers do not occur before the ages normally associated with increased incidence, implying that age-dependent factors influence the expression of disease; 7) age at exposure is perhaps the most important host factor influencing subsequent cancer risk; 8) the percentage increase in cancer incidence per rad is not the same for all cancers, i.e., some cancer of high natural incidence, e.g., colon, have low ''relative risks'' and some cancers of low natural incidence, e.g., thyroid, have high ''relative risks;'' 9) dose-effect curves are often linear, but curvilinearity is also observed and is possibly associated with the need for ''two ionizing events'' for transformation to occur at low doses, the influence of cell sterilization at moderate doses, the likelihood of ''wasted'' dose at high doses, and/or the influence of factors that effect the expression of disease.

• OSTI ID: 5503896
• Journal Information: Cancer (Philadelphia); (United States), Journal Name: Cancer (Philadelphia); (United States) Vol. 47:5(Suppl.); ISSN CANCA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

550603* -- Medicine-- External Radiation in Therapy-- (1980-)
560151 -- Radiation Effects on Animals-- Man
62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
AGE DEPENDENCE
ANIMAL TISSUES
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
BIOLOGICAL RADIATION EFFECTS
BODY
BONE MARROW
CARCINOGENESIS
DELAYED RADIATION EFFECTS
DIAGNOSIS
DISEASES
DOSE-RESPONSE RELATIONSHIPS
DOSES
ENDOCRINE GLANDS
GLANDS
HEMATOPOIETIC SYSTEM
HEMIC DISEASES
IRRADIATION
LEUKEMIA
MAMMARY GLANDS
MEDICINE
NEOPLASMS
NUCLEAR MEDICINE
ORGANS
PATHOGENESIS
RADIATION DOSES
RADIATION EFFECTS
RADIOINDUCTION
RADIOLOGY
RADIOSENSITIVITY
RADIOTHERAPY
SIDE EFFECTS
THERAPY
THYROID
TISSUES