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Assessing cancer risks of low-dose radiation

Nature Reviews Cancer volume 9, pages 596–604 (2009)Cite this article

Abstract

Ionizing radiation is considered a non-threshold carcinogen. However, quantifying the risk of the more commonly encountered low and/or protracted radiation exposures remains problematic and subject to uncertainty. Therefore, a major challenge lies in providing a sound mechanistic understanding of low-dose radiation carcinogenesis. This Perspective article considers whether differences exist between the effects mediated by high- and low-dose radiation exposure and how this affects the assessment of low-dose cancer risk.

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Figure 1: Possible relationships between radiation dose and cancer risk.
Figure 2: DNA damage response signalling.

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Acknowledgements

We wish to thank P. Jeggo for critical reading of this manuscript and all RISC-RAD partners for contributing to this research area. Financial support to RISC-RAD is provided by the European Commission under contract FI6R-CT-2003-508,842.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Leon Mullenders is at the Department of Toxicogenetics, Leiden University Medical Centre, 2300RC Leiden, The Netherlands.,

    Leon Mullenders

  2. Department of Radiation Oncology, Mike Atkinson is at the Institute of Radiation Biology, Helmholtz Centre Munich, Munich D-85764, Germany, and Radiation Biology, Klinikum Rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany.,

    Mike Atkinson

  3. Herwig Paretzke is at the Institute of Radiation Protection, Helmholtz Centre Munich, Munich D-85764, Germany.,

    Herwig Paretzke

  4. Laure Sabatier is at the Life Sciences Division, Atomic Research Centre, Fontenay-aux-Roses, F-92265, France

    Laure Sabatier

  5. Simon Bouffler is at the Radiation Protection Division, Health Protection Agency, Chilton, OX11 0RQ, UK

    Simon Bouffler

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Correspondence to Leon Mullenders.

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ataxia telangiectasia

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Leon Mullenders' homepage

Central Research Institute of Electric Power Industry

Institute of Environmental Sciences

http://www.nirs.go.jp

Low Dose Radiation Research Program

National Institute for Radiological Sciences

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RISC-RAD

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Mullenders, L., Atkinson, M., Paretzke, H. et al. Assessing cancer risks of low-dose radiation. Nat Rev Cancer 9, 596–604 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrc2677

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