Impact on radiogenic cancer risk of persons exhibiting abnormal sensitivity to ionizing radiation

Journal Article · Mon Aug 01 00:00:00 EDT 1988 · Health Phys.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1097/00004032-198808000-00041· OSTI ID:7091739

Gentner, N E; Morrison, D P; Myers, D K

Human genotypes are known that confer both increased susceptibility or resistance to DNA damage and increased cancer risk after exposure to carcinogenic agents, including ionizing radiation (NAS 1980). The existence of sensitive subgroups at elevated risk, if they are of appreciable size, could have significant impact on the actual distribution of risk. The radiosensitive disorder ataxia-telangiectasia (A-T) serves as a good example: the significant at risk group, A-T heterozygotes, is estimated to comprise between 0.5% and 5% of the total population, and has a twofold elevated lifetime risk of fatal neoplasia. Other genetic syndromes that manifest abnormal radiosensitivity are also known, but no estimates are available for the population frequency of all such phenotypes, or for their overall degree of increased risk. As the first part of a program addressing these questions, we have developed a rapid and inexpensive assay for screening members of the general population for abnormal radiosensitivity; such persons would be regarded as at presumptive elevated risk of radiogenic cancer. Our method utilizes lymphoblastoid cell lines and chronic as opposed to acute gamma-ray exposure to amplify the difference between normal and somewhat sensitive strains. A simple grow-back assay assesses the survival response. Information on the extent of natural variation in inherited susceptibility to radiogenic cancers could be most useful for radiation protection in the future.

• Research Organization: Chalk River Nuclear Laboratories, Ontario (Canada)
• OSTI ID: 7091739
• Journal Information: Health Phys.; (United States), Vol. 55:2
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
HUMAN POPULATIONS
RADIOSENSITIVITY
IONIZING RADIATIONS
CARCINOGENESIS
NEOPLASMS
RADIOINDUCTION
FIBROBLASTS
LYMPHOCYTES
PHENOTYPE
RADIATION PROTECTION
RISK ASSESSMENT
SCREENING
TELANGIECTASIS
ANIMAL CELLS
BIOLOGICAL MATERIALS
BLOOD
BLOOD CELLS
BODY FLUIDS
CONNECTIVE TISSUE CELLS
DISEASES
LEUKOCYTES
MATERIALS
PATHOGENESIS
POPULATIONS
RADIATIONS
SKIN DISEASES
SOMATIC CELLS
VASCULAR DISEASES
560151* - Radiation Effects on Animals- Man