Title: Alternatives of non-threshold and threshold concepts of cancerogenic and mutagenic effects of low LET radiation: the analysis of postulates and arguments

Authors: Lev M. Rozhdestvensky

Addresses: State Research Center – Institute of Biophysics, Zhivopisnaya, 46, 123182 Moscow, Russia

Abstract: The comparative analysis of radiation-induced stochastic effects in organisms and cells is given under the aspect of the comparison of non-threshold vs. threshold concepts of radiation effect induction including their postulate basis analysis. Most representative data of basic research areas of radiation-induced stochastic effects are considered, including data on radiation epidemiology and experimental and theoretical radiobiology. The main conclusion of the elaborated analysis consists in the principal difference of dose response patterns for radiation-induced, stochastic effects in the low dose range compared with those in the high dose range. The principal inadequacy of extrapolations from high to low dose ranges is noted, as well as the better justification and the corresponding preference attributed to the threshold concept of low LET radiation effects. The new approach principle of the approximate radiation-induced stochastic effect, quasi-threshold evaluation, is presented.

Keywords: low radiation; non-threshold concept; threshold concept; radiostochastic effects; quasi-threshold estimation; dose-effect curves; cancerogenic effects; mutagenic effects; dose rate; linear energy transfer radiation; LET radiation.

DOI: 10.1504/IJLR.2006.009511

International Journal of Low Radiation, 2006 Vol.2 No.3/4, pp.154 - 171

Published online: 17 Apr 2006 *

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