Effects of low doses of radiation

This is a brief review of what is known from experimental studies about the effects of low doses of radiation, and approaches that might improve risk estimates are discussed. The dose-response relationships for cancer induction by radiation vary markedly between tissues. The evidence suggests that 1) the induction of the initial events is dependent on the cell type because the size and/or the number of targets and how the cells handle the initial lesions differs between cell types; and 2) there are marked differences among tissues how initial lesions are expressed and proceed to overt cancer. The recent findings about adaptive responses are discussed in the context of what they contribute to our understanding about the response to irradiation. Lastly, the possibility of extending the approach of determining "The probability of causation," which Vic Bond played such an important role in establishing, is raised.