Carcinogenesis--a synopsis of human experience with external exposure in medicine

Journal Article · Sat Oct 01 04:00:00 EDT 1988 · Health Phys.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1097/00004032-198810000-00003· OSTI ID:6541047

Boice, Jr, J D

Studies in the 1980s of medically irradiated populations have increased our knowledge of radiation carcinogenesis. (1) Investigations of prenatal x-ray exposures, especially in twins, provide evidence that very low doses of ionizing radiation may cause cancer in humans. (2) Fractionated doses appear as effective as single exposures of the same total dose in causing breast cancer, but seem less effective for lung cancer. (3) Excess breast cancers can occur among women exposed under age 10, indicating that the immature breast is susceptible to the carcinogenic action of radiation. (4) Moderate doses on the order of 1 Gy to the brains of children can cause tumors later in life; moderately high doses to the skin can cause cancer when followed by frequent exposure to ultraviolet light. (5) Radiotherapy for cervical cancer can increase the rate of subsequent leukemia with the best fitting dose-response functions including a negative exponential term to account for cell-killing. (6) Low-dose exposures of about 10 cGy may increase the risk of thyroid cancer. (7) Second cancers following radiotherapy for a variety of cancers occur primarily among long-term survivors. (8) Radiotherapy may not significantly increase the risk of leukemia following childhood cancer, whereas chemotherapy with alkylating agents is a major risk factor. (9) Bone cancer occurs after high-dose radiotherapy for childhood cancer, but children with retinoblastoma are not more susceptible to radiation-induced disease than children with other malignancies. (10) High-dose external beam therapy can cause thyroid cancer. (11) Studies of cervical cancer patients indicate that the risk of radiation-induced second malignancies follows a time-response model consistent with a constant multiplication of the underlying background incidence. 83 references.

• Research Organization: National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD (USA)
• OSTI ID: 6541047
• Journal Information: Health Phys.; (United States), Journal Name: Health Phys.; (United States) Vol. 55:4; ISSN HLTPA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

560151* -- Radiation Effects on Animals-- Man
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
BODY
BRAIN
CARCINOGENESIS
CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM
DISEASES
DOCUMENT TYPES
DOSE-RESPONSE RELATIONSHIPS
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
GLANDS
IONIZING RADIATIONS
MAMMARY GLANDS
MEDICINE
NEOPLASMS
NERVOUS SYSTEM
NUCLEAR MEDICINE
ORGANS
PATHOGENESIS
RADIATIONS
RADIOINDUCTION
RADIOLOGY
RADIOTHERAPY
REVIEWS
SIDE EFFECTS
THERAPY
X RADIATION